Neighbours’ spat in court
In the Dunedin Police Court yesterday before Mr J.R. Bartholomew SM, a neighbours’ quarrel was aired when a man proceeded against a woman, who was his neighbour, on a charge of assaulting his young daughter. Mr Irwin appeared for the defendant and pleaded not guilty. He said it was a case in which the defendant was charged with “clipping” the ears of the complainant’s girl, because complainant’s girl had clipped defendant’s child’s ears. Counsel said it was a trivial case, and to save the time of the court, defendant would plead guilty to a technical assault and would undertake not to commit the offence. Complainant said he had had trouble with the defendant before. One of the defendant’s children had twice bitten his (witness’s) child on the arm. Defendant was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence, if called upon, within 12 months. — ODT, 19.10.1920.