ORDER GRANTED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 32, 17 November 1939, Page 6

ORDER GRANTED

PROHIBITED FROM LIQUOR. COMPLAINT MADE BY MAN’S ' WIFE. CASES HEARD IN COURT TO-DAY, The list of eases for hearing in the .Ashburton Magistrate’s Court- by. Mr H. Morgan, S.’M., this morning was not large, blit the disposal of them occupied about four hours. An application for the issue of a prohibition order was made against Alexander Webster (Mr Drury). Com.plaintant was defendant’s wife, who stated that defendant had taken to drinking heavily seven months ago. He had sold his new £9 bicycle for £4 and the money was spent in liquor one week-end. He had told her he would sooner buy beer than food, any day. To Mr Drury: She owned the house she lived in and had her own car. She had plenty) of clothes but she had them all before she was married 10 months ago. His health was all right, but she did not think his mind was too good. She had not received any money in the last six weeks except that for payment of an account of '£4 18s. She was on good terms with all but one of defendant’s family. She disposed of six dozen beer bottles tho other day. To the Magistrate: The £4 18s was drawn from defendant’s employer. She could not have had a better husband till defendant started to drink. Defendant stated that he Had, been living with his wife up to a week ago. He had made payments under the mortgage on the house. He had paid money to his wife and sometimes paid accounts himself. There were no debts, He admitted his wife had not actually handled much money. There was not much to spare. He denied that ha drank to excess. There had been rows over their families and he had cleared out at week-ends, but be was not always drinking. "He had sold his bicycle because lie had no use for it. He lent some of the money he obtained for the machine. The bottles referred to were the accumulation of 10 months, To Mr Charles: He denied that ha had lost work because of his drinking. He had not gone to work because he was not feeling well.. He had plenty of places for his liquor to be delivered to. He ordered,, two, three or four dozen bottles on occasion. The Magistrate said the evidence was too strong for him to disregard and he was satisfied there had been excessive drinking. A prohibition order was granted.

Traffic Breaches. James Alan Ford was charged with having parked a car.without sufficient lighting being displayed, and was fined 10s, with ffs-costs. 1 Alick R. Donaldson (Mr Drury) was charged with haying stopped a car on the "offside of another halted car and was fined 10s, with £1 6s costs. Ivan Henry Hoatten was charged with having operated a vehicle without a heavy traffic licence. He Was fined £l, with 12s costs. Civil Business, Judgment for plaintiff by default was given in each of the following cases:—F, E. Owers v. G. Lee, £5 11s 3d, with £2 2s fid costs • J. Walls y. W. Sampson; £3 2s fid, with £1 7.s fid costs. ' ' Reserved Decision. ‘•-''l # t .. The Magistrate gave his reserved decision in the case, heard two weeks ago, in which Laurence Hyland was charged with being the father of an illegitimate child, a charge which was denied by defendant. The Magistrate said that the evidence of the mother of an illegitimate child must have corrobox-atioh, and her statements must be consistent and reliable. -He referred to a statement given by defendant admitting, only to avoid the publicity of a Court case, that he was the father of the child. Some very damaging evidence had come to light. The mother had maintained all along that another young man was, the father, and had-kept to this story till long after the child was born, when she changed her story. This and the statement of Hyland’s “admission” did not ring true, and the Magistrate held that he was not satisfied that defendant was the father of the child. The case would be dismissed.