A CORPORAL REHABILITATED

Taranaki Daily News, 18 November 1919, Page 5

A CORPORAL REHABILITATED

A COURT-MARTIAL AND ITS SEQUEL. SOME REMARKABLE FEATURES. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, Nov, 14. During September of last year Corporal \Y. A. D'Oridant, of the New Zealand Military Police, was tried by court-martial in Wellington on a charge of having "knowingly made a false accusation" against Captain Charles Gray. Assistant Provost-Marshal for the Wellington district. The accusation was that Captain Gray had been drunk on August 1, IftlS, while on duty. The corporal was found guilty, sentenced to "28 days' detention, and dismissed from the forces in disgrace. He has now been reinstated, .granted honorable discharge and given a year's pay by the Defence Department. Ho has roceiviU a prom Us tiiat the record of his conviction shall be expunged from his personal file. i

The case, which attracted attention at the time, has remarkable features. Corporal DOridant, who is fifty years of age, was engaged as a fisherman at Oamaru early in IBIS, when the Defence authorities required a motor launch for fatrol work in Wellington harbor. He owned, a launch. The Defence authorities hired the boat and employed its owner as master. D'Oridant was attested for Home Service and given the rank of corporal. Captain Grav was Assistant Provost-Marshal for Wellington, and his duties included the patrolling of the harbor. He went out on the launch with D'Oridant on the night of August 1, and in consequence of certain incidents the corporal charged the captain with drunkenness. A few days later D'Oridant was "arrested and consigned to a cell at Mt, Cook Barracks. When the court-martial sat in September, Captain Grav was the most important witness. The president of the court was Lieutenant-Colonel R. Neave, who had with him Major E. V. Bevan and Major A. ft. Hollis, New Zealand Garrison Artillery. Captain Gray denied that be had taken any liquor at all on the day in question. He admitted that. Corporal D'Oridant had been placed under close arrest on August 1G and held in a cell at Mt. Cook barracks for seventeen days without being allowed to see a lawyer. The prisoner was not allowed to see his wife for the first ten' days. He was confined in a bare cell without furniture. He had to sit on the concrete floor, and frequently private soldiers charged with drunkenness were locked up with him. He made application to see his wife and a solicitor. Captain Gray stated in evidence that he sent the application on to Captain Hill. Assistant Provost-Marshal at Defence Headquarters. Captain Hill refused permission end said "there would be plenty of time later." The court-martial found D'Oridant guilty and sentenced him to twentyeight. days' detention. The corporal had been in detention for more than twenty-eight days already, and under military law his period of detention should have dated from his arrest. But. he was held for another four weeks, most of the time in the cell at Mt, Cook Barracks, before lie was released and discharged from the forces. During that time, although he was a non-commission-ed officer, private soldiers were again placed in the same cell. Since his release Corporal D'Oridant has pressed for a rehearing of his case, j This rehearing has not been granted, but the Defence Department has now agreed (1) to remove the conviction from his personal file; (2) to grant him an honorable discharge dating from August 6, 10! P (the date of ordinary demobilisation): and to band him arrears of pay amounting to £19(1, covering the period from the date of his dismissal to the date of the new discharge. Captain Grav left the service of tlie Defence Department last year and is stated to be out of New Zealand at the present, time. Mr. A. A. L. Treadwell, who has represented Corporal D'Oridant in connection with this affair, declined to make any statement on the subject. Corporal D'Oridant. himself confirmed the statements made above.