POLICE COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 58, 9 March 1923, Page 7

POLICE COURT.

(Before Mr. J. W. Poynton, S.M.) BtTIXY BARNES IMPRISONED. The other night at Kingsland a gentleman was sitting with a lady when a young fellow nearby used some bad language. The gentleman asked, him not to swear within the hearing of' a lady. At that moment another young i man, aged 22, known in the vicinity as! Bully Barnes, came up and said, "What's all this?" Ho then hit the gentleman in the face, breaking hie teeeh. The man who had used the language took no further part in the affair, and the assault by the third party was entirely unprovoked. Thie was the story ' told by Sergeant Rowell this morning when William James Barnes, a one-eyed young man, pleaded not guilty to a charge of assault. His only excuse was' that the gentleman had made as if to I strike him. "So I hit him first," said! accused, with a grin. But the grin soon taded when the magistrate said: "Oh there are too many of these unprovoked assaults. One month!" Bully Barnes bit his lip W, and looked as though he would fall, so a big constable took him by the arm and led him to the waiting black inaria. I EXTfaRMWTATION OF WEEDS. I Nest on the list came another youna man, John Herring. According to thl sergeant he was the one who had used the obscene language in the case above. He . P' eaded gu'lty. "You are making a bad start for a young fellow," said Mr. Poynton severely. "There is the larrikin element out there at Kingsland. It must be put down. Larrikinism, like, noxious weeds, must '■» ex- | terminated. Let it go unchecked and it becomes rampant. Larrikin gangs must not be allowed to cause annoyance to decent folk, and the Court must deal with these cases in a manner that will be a lesson to others. You are fined £10, with expenses £3 7/, and don't come here again!" ANOTHER "METB!." FIEND. A' bushman, Michael George McMullen (58), pleaded guilty to the theft of a suitcase and contents, valued i at £15, the property of Ruby Watson, i The evidence went to show that the I suitcase was left at a store by the young woman, and accused, who went there to buy methylated spirits, walked off with it. The chief detective stated that McMullen was drinking a lot of methylated spirits at the time of the theft. He had been convicted of drunkenness in the past. "Now look what drinking has brought you to," said the Magistrate. "You are now not only a drunkard but a thief." Addressing the Chief Detective, he asked, "Was the girl a poor girl?" "Yes, your Worship." The magistrate said he would take that into account. He would place McMullen on probation for one year, on condition that he abstained from drink. Property to the value of £10 had been recovered, but McMullen would have to make restitution of the remaining £5 as soon as possible. Afterwards he would have to pay ex- ; penses, £2 17/. "And McMullen, if ! you get drunk within twelve months I'll send you to Mount Eden for six months!" ROBBED HIS EMPLOYER. When William Hutcliinson (37) ! pleaded guilty to two charge 3of theft I relating to property valued at £1 12s 6d jat Riverfiead, on March 7. Sergeant I Rowell eiaid it was a case of an employee ! robbing the man -who toad given him a good job. He had also robbed a fellow . employee. Hutchinson, -who had a coni viction for theft to his discredit, was sentenced to fourteen days' imprison- i j ment. MISCFIXANEOTTS. For selling a firearm without permiafeion, Peter Allick was fined 20/-, with 1 costs 9/-; Ezekiel E. Proude was mulcted in the sum of £2, and costs 9/., for being in possession of an unregistered firearm. I Aa the result of a prosecution brought hy the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Frank Shorteliffe was fined £2, and ordered to pay costs 17/-, for cruelly ill-treating horses. i