ASSAULT CASE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 January 1939, Page 6

ASSAULT CASE

SEQUEL TO SWING BRIDGE EPISODE GIRL’S TRYING ORDEAL. ACCUSED MAN PLEADS GUILTY. The story of a trying ordeal when she was unexpectedly assaulted while on her way to the hospital to receive treatment for an injured arm. still in a sling, was told in the Masterton Magistrate's Court yesterday by a sixteen-year-old girl. The assailant, George Curtis, a farm hand. 21 years of age. pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting the girl with intent to commit a crime. Mr H. P. Lawry, S.M., committed accused to the Supreme Court at Wellington for sentence and also made an order suppressing the name of the girl who was attacked.

Detective-Sergeant W. Kane conducted the case for the police and accused was represented by Mr H. H. Daniell.

The girl, who appeared in the witness box with her left arm still in a sling, told the court that when she was on her way to the hospital about 10.30 a.m. on the morning of January 4 she saw a man, whom she later identified as the accused walking past the children’s play area wheeling a bicycle. He walked in front of her for some distance and then mounted his bicycle and rode on towards the swing bridge, where he dismounted and disappeared among the trees along the river bed. When she neared the bridge the man reappeared and without any warning ho came from behind and put one arm round her waist and the other across her face.

“I struggled and screamed,” added the girl, “and he struck me again, knocking me out. I came to a few 1 moment later and was laying on the bridge. I struggled and screamed again. He then hit me over the mouth. When I recovered after that blow I felt him lift me roughly, then push me aside, and he ran off. Almost immediately I saw a man approaching irom the other end of the bridge.” As a result of the assault she suffered from shock, a cut mouth and a damaged nose. The accused was a complete stranger to her and to the best of her knowledge she had never seen him before. She did not speak to him and he did not say anything to her. J. H. Spink said that on the morning of the assault he heard screams as he approached the bridge and when he looked round he saw a man rough handling and striking a girl. He hurried to her rescue and saw the man make off into the trees. He could not identify the accused as the man he saw. “I heard a woman screaming and the sound of blows being struck,” said W. F. Farley, an in-patient of the Masterton Hospital. A man who looked like the accused was coming off the end of the bridge. Witness called to him to stop but the man continued on. He could not follow him because of an. amputated leg. He went to the hospital and secured a taxi for the girl. Constable R. L. Hollis said that on arrival at the swing bridge, DetectiveSergeant Kane showed him two bicycles which were lying in long grass near the bridge. One was later claimed by a small boy and the other was taken to the police station. After an intensive but unsuccessful search of the immediate locality he was instructed to waitnear where the bicycles were found. Shortly before 2 p.m. a man appeared on the scene and seemed to be lookingfor something. On being asked was he was looking for the man said for his bicycle. He gave a description of the machine and was told that it was at the police station. . “I then asked him why he had struck the girl,” continued the constable, ''‘and he replied: ‘I do not know. I could not help myself. I have just had a row with my father.’ ” On arrival at the police station accused identified his bicycle. He said he was sorry for what he had done and realised what a serious thing it was. Witness then read a statement made by the accused in which he admitted striking the girl and trying to pick her up. In a further statement on the following day accused said: “ . . . .

If no one had come I was going to carry her down among the trees." Mr Daniell said that the accused was a member of a hard-working and respected family. He had received a severe fall in his school days and that had apparently affected him. Counsel, asked that a medical examination be made of accused before he came up for sentence.

Mr Lawry said he had no doubt that counsel’s request would be acceded to. He then committed the accused, who pleaded guilty, for sentence. There was no application for bail.