POLICEMAN CHARGED.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 March 1922, Page 4

POLICEMAN CHARGED.

ALLEGATION OF ASSAULT. COMMITTED FOR TRIAL. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. Fielding Hargreaves was committed for trial on a private information of having unlawfully assaulted Gilbert John Johnston so as to cause actual bodily harm. Hargreaves is a constable and it is alleged that the offence was committed at the city police station on the evening of December 24. The case started on Monday, when informant stated that, having been arrested on a charge of drunkenness while in charge of a vehicle, trouble arose in the station enclosure over a tin, and Hargreaves, a constable on watch-house duty, walked straight up and struck complainant on the side of the face, breaking his jaw end knocking out a tooth. " Other evidence was given to the effect that informant had no injvrv on going to the station, but when bailed his face was swollen and, marked. The defence was that the informant was not struck, but fell over in avoiding a grab by accused as he refused to obey orders. Informant struck hie head on the concrete and the right ear bled a little. Other policemen gave that informant made no complaint that W evening and showed no signs of serious V injurv. In a report to his officers the accused said the tooth displayed by informant was old and dry.