ARREST RESISTED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 August 1938, Page 8

ARREST RESISTED

MAGISTRATE SENDS MAN TO GAOL ALLEGATIONS OF ASSAULT BY POLICE. HELD NOT TO BE SUSTAINED. Allegations of assault and ill-treat-ment by members of the Police Force were made in the Masterton Magistrate’s Court this morning when Charles William Wilson was charged with being found drunk in a public place, using obscene language, and resisting arrest. It was alleged by the defence that Wilson was punched in the face by Detective-Sergeant Kane and that Constable R. Hill dislocated his elbow when Wilson refused to give up possession of £5O he had in his possession. The public gallery of the court was crowded. On the application of Mr T. Jordan, who appeared for Wilson, all police witnesses were ordered out of court. After hearing lengthy evidence, Mr H. P. Lawry, S.M., who presided, said there was some doubt about the drunkenness charge, which he would dismiss. Referring to the obscene language charge, Mr Lawry said that under different circumstances it might have been more serious. It had been suggested that women might have heard it. but there was no evidence that any did. “Those who did hear it,” added Mr Lawry, “are people we look on as being able to stand it.” He convicted and fined Wilson £2 and costs on that charge. “The resisting arrest, charge is a much more serious matter,” observed Mr Lawry, who added: “Whether he was arrested rightly or wrongly, it does not give him any reason to resist. 1 cannot take it as being established that the detective-sergeant struck him in the eye. There is no evidence but his own that he had a black eye. He is liable to go to gaol for three months. In view of the sustained resistance and his previous record I must send him to gaol. I would make it six weeks but for the fact that he has been in hospital for some time. I will convict him and sentence him to three weeks’ hard labour.”