Characterizing assaults with batons and sticks as a menace which he declared would not abate if offenders were allowed to go scot free, Mr. Ranald McDonald for the complainant in an Indian assault case heard before Mr. I. T. Morris, Acting Registrar, in H. M. Police Court yesterday, urged that an example be made of the accused as a deterrent to others, The complainant in the prosecution, Naurang Singh, Indian inter-prefer, charged the accused, Bhagat Singh, a watchman, with assaulting him with a stick tipped with iron. on August 3, at the Hongkew Market. Mr. H. A. Reeks represented the accused, who was sentenced to one month's imprisonment.
In passing sentence Mr. Morris pointed out that he had carefully considered the evidence and arrived at the conclusion that defendant was guilty. He thought there were certain extenuating circumstances in the case and did not accede to an application of complainant for costs gainst defendant.
Mr. Reeks in addressing the court said the evidence of the witnesses for the prosecution should be discredited, being in his submission unreliable and tainted. Mr. McDonald asked His Worship to take a serious view of the case, pointing out that such assaults might result in permanent injury to the victim. He asked for costs against defendant under the Criminal Cases Acts of 1908 and observed that it was fortunate for accused, that he had at the outset of the case, severa' days ago, reduced a felony charge to one where accused could be dealt with summarily.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.