DRUNK MAN'S ESCAPADE.

Taihape Daily Times, 20 November 1918, Page 5

DRUNK MAN'S ESCAPADE.

MEDDLED WITH SICK PEOPLE, The case in which two men, posing' as ambulance workers, interfered witi' : an influenza patient,' in ; Ponsonby lastMonday night week, was revived' at the Police Court o n Tuesday, when one of the men, John Albert Gribble (30) pleaded guilty to a charge of : assaulted Jenny C, Morrill by catching hold of her, and to the theft of a bottle of wine, a bottle of whisky and 10/6 in cash.

-Sub-Inspector Wohlmann stated that on the Monday night Gribble and another man, both under the influence of drink, made use of one of th& ambulance motors and posed as ambulance workers, which gave them admittance to a house in Jervois Road, where there was an influenza patient, a young woman by herself-at the time. They adminisetred various drugs, shifted the patient to another bedroom, and then took the wine, whisky, and 'money from the house and left. The young woman had since had a relapse. The following morning Gribble, still suffering from the effect of drink, went to a house in Beresford Street, announced himself as "Dr. Spain, from Australia," and took upon, himself to administer alcohol and lemon squash to a woman suffering from influenza. When she declined to take a drink of brandy and lemon he had prepared he drank it himself, and he insisted on looking at the patients' feet to assist in his diagnosis. These peculiar actions resulted in one of the men of the house, who suspected the man's bona fides, taking charge of him, and holding him till the police arrived. The patient had since died, though, of course, it could not be said that the death was in any way due to accused's' action. So far the effort to trace the other man who accompanied Gribble on Monday night had failed; and' Gribble 's memory was so vague that he could give no assistance.

' Mr. Inder, for accused, pointed out that a number of convictions agasߧB Gribble were aft for offences of drunkenness, and had all occurred since his return from the war :.suffering from shell-shock. His wife, died on. Sunday wek, and \ that .;sdtJbim {off drinking again. Before he got shell-shock the ?^ a S. ,J iad 'ah ■ absolutely stainless re-co'rdi'-'and he to apply' to be sent to Eotorua Island fdr' : six months. ••;£&■ Hunt, S.M./remarked that Accused would go'' to "the- Island ; with- £ u *.- a °Z.. a PP ll cation; he would-be committed for twelve months.—Auckland