A ROWDY “GUEST.”

Taranaki Daily News, 30 September 1922, Page 7

A ROWDY “GUEST.”

INCIDENTS IN THE LOCK-UP. SEQUEL IN THE COURT. When charged at the Magistrate’s Court at New Plymouth, yesterday, with having been drunk in Brougham Street the previous afternoon, George Coombes not only denied the impeachment but made grave charges against the police, accusing them of dereliction of duty, in the first place cf having arrested him when he was not drunk; secondly, with failure to call a doctor to testify to his sobriety or otherwise: and thirdly, with having assaulted him while he was in durance vile in the lock up. Constable Palmer set events moving when he arrested Coombes, whom he suspected of having committed a nuisance in the street; but it was not until after be had refused to move on that the constab’j took more active measures. The evidence adduced by the police was to the effect that accused was not only drunk, but very drunk, one of the officers stating that material aasistance had to be rendered accused to enable him to sit up and take his tea, while the senior sergeant added that Coombes had raised such a row in the cells as to become s nuisance to the neighborhood. While Coombes pleaded not guilty, he admitted having had a few drinks, and then proceeded to state that he was sober when arrested, by declaring that he could recall all that had happened in the interim. He had not wanted a car ride to the station, because he had wanted to show that he could walk; while he had asked for Dr. Walker, because he knew he would get “a good man who would prove that he was not drunk.” The failure of the police to call the doctor, and also someone to bail him out, led him to assume the offensive and he proceeded to draw attention to hi.-? unhappy lot by “raising a row.” He had offered to pay for the doctor, but the police would not sent for one.

This statement led Senior-Sergeant McCrorie to observe that the police could call a doctor at a prisoner’s request only when that individual was possessed of the fee. The accused had only six shillings on him. The records, however, showed that Coombes had over £6 on him when the constable arrested him, and in continuance of his proof of sobriety, accused said he re membered the remark of the constable who searched him: “My word, you’ve got a lot of money!” “Yes, and you wanted to fight me for £25,” rejoined Constable Parker. It was at this stage that Coombes alleged that the police had knocked him about in the cells, and he displayed a bloodstain on the back of his head in support of his statement. All the protestations of Coombes were in vain, however, the presiding justice (Mr. J. Therkelson) remarking that it was inconceivable that he would have been arrested had he not been drunk. “Then all I can say,” Coombes interrupted, “is that is seems, from what I can see, it won’t be safe for any man to he alone without he has company with him, or he may be arrested and locked up.” With a conviction and a fine of 7s 6d recorded against him, accused left the dock, remarking as he went: “I’m very sorry, your Worship, that you can’t - let me off. This is the first time I have ever ’been ar rested, and I am not guilty.”