BAD LANGUAGE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 262, 19 August 1930, Page 2

BAD LANGUAGE

YOUNC MAN'S OFFENCE. ARGUMENT WITH CONSTABLE. (Special to the "Guardian.") CHRISTCHURCH, August 18. An apprentice, aged 22, started an argument with a constable at the Winter Show on Saturday night and used' some questionable language. As a result he was arrested, and. two charges were preferred against him—indecent language and disorderly behaviour. The case was heard in the Magistrate's Court this morning before Mr E. Di Mosley, S.M. The accused, whose name was suppressed, was convicted and fined £2 and costs for using indecent language. The charge covering disorderly behaviour was dismissed. Alexander Rennie, patrol-man at the Winter Show, said, that on Saturday night he heard someone lacking the walls of the annexe. Witness went round and saw three young men there. He spoke to them and advised them to go home, but was met with abuse. He then called a constable.

To Mr Twyneham (who appeared for the youth): There was no other trouble at the Winter Show that night although there were a few "drunks" around. When the constable went away two women went to him and said he ought to be ashamed of himself for having a young boy arrested. Witness was quite sure, however, that the accused was the man who was making the disturbance. Mr Twyneham: Did not the whole trouble arise from the fact that the three youths thought you had picked on the wrong men?—Possibly. Did you regard the word "hell" as indecent?—No, not particularly. Oh! You have heard it before? Constable Ricketts said that at 9.15 he saw the accused waving his arms round, gesticulating wildly and talking in a loud voice. "I warned him ana his two companions to leave," said the constable, "but the accused refused, although the others went away. Then I asked him for his name and address, and he said he would 'see me in hell first.'. He also used other language. He was under the influence of liquor, but not suffiicently for me to arrest him for drunkenness." Mr Twyneham: How far off the stage when you could arrest him?— That is a pretty hard question to answer. Was he walking straight?—No, he

was staggering slightly. Could he speak all right?—-Yes. Well, he could certainly express him-

self. Accused, in the box, said that when he and his friends went to the show they first went to enter at the eastern , door, hut were told to go round to the main entrance. They were walking round in that direction when a patrolman caught up with them and accused them of banging on the walla and making a disturbance. _ Later a constable came along, but witness did not use any swear words. The Magistrate said the charge of disorderly behaviour had root been proved.