PUGILISTIC FARMER

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1025, 16 July 1930, Page 7

PUGILISTIC FARMER

BOXER FINED FOR ASSAULT YOUTH’S TWO BLACK EYES From Our Own Correspondent WAIHI, Tuesday. Strong comment on the conduct of accused, now a farmer on the Waihi Plains, but cnce a heavy-weight boxer with two championships to his credit, was made by Air. F. W. Platts, S.M., in the Waihi Alagistrate’s Court today, when Clarence Thorpe, aged 30, was charged with having assaulted Basil Hoyle, the 18-year-old son of a neighbouring farmer, last Sunday. Thorpe was further charged with having used obscene language. He pleaded not guilty. The evidence showed that there had been a dispute between the parties over the sale of a horse. Hoyle, a younger brother and a neighbour, were near Thorpe’s property on the afternoon of the alleged offence, and accused, in company with another, passed them in a motor-car, returning after having gone a little way along the road. Thorpe alighted and accused Hoyle of having trespassed on his property, which the youth denied. It was alleged that Thorpe struck at him and the lad slipped and fell. Hoyle, who appeared in court with two black eyes and his nose bruised, stated that he had been kicked and punched in the face while he was on the ground, and had been dragged by the hair by accused, who had invited him to stand up and fight. I-Te made no attempt to retaliate, and others present did not intervene. Thorpe was using a constant flow of bad language. Thorpe’s defence was that Hoyle had been impertinent and had used bad language to him when spoken to. Witness had struck at him with his open hand, both of them falling down. Tie denied that he had kicked or punched complainant. James Anderson, a farmer, who had been with Thorpe in the car, said accused had just struck Hoyle with his open hand. There was no need for him to use his clenched fist. “Is he a bit of a boxer, then?” asked the magistrate. “I should think so,” replied witness. “He has won two heavy-weight championships.” ‘‘This was an attempt by a man who has won two heavy-weight championships to induce a youth to fight,” said Air. Platts. “It resulted in an unprovoked and brutal assault.”

Accused was fined £5 and the magistrate ordered that half this sum should go to complainant as some compensation for the injuries he had received. For using obscene language Thorpe was fined £2. and costs were allowed against him in both cases.