AN OLD OFFENDER.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 48, Issue 83, 18 January 1928, Page 4

AN OLD OFFENDER.

SLEPT IN THE DOMAIN. FOURTEEN DAYSIN GAOL. Having been arrested last night as he slept under the trees in the Domain, an elderly man, Thomas Patrick Coughlan, alias Coglan, alias Davis, McGlusky, alias Thomas Walsh, appeared before Mr R. Clark, J.P., in. the Ashburton Police Court this morning, oharged with being an idle and disorderly person in that he had no lawful visible means of support. Accused pleaded guilty, and SeniorSergeant H. Martin stated that he had been sleeping out for some time apparently. He had been drinking methylated spirits, and was not yet right. In fact, he was in a rather bad way. "Give me a chance, your Honor, as I have a job to go to," pleaded accused. Asked if he had been drinking methylated spirits, accused' said he had been offered a drink of the spirit yesterday and 1 when he refused the man who offered it threw it over him._ That was how he came to smell of spirits. "Don't you think a spell would do you good?" asked the Bench. "Well, I've been spelling for some time," replied accused. A sentence of 14 days' hard labour was imposed. "The harvest will be over by the time I come out," protested accused, but he was assured that the harvest would barely have started. "Right you are, come on -all of you," said the old man as he turned to the policemen in Court, and ti> show his unconcern he danced a few steps for the benefit of the reporters. It was stated that accused had a very long list of previous convictions.