POLICE COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 132, 5 June 1923, Page 3

POLICE COURT.

(Before Jlr. J. W. Poynton, S.M.)

SAW DOUBLE INVERSELY. A middle-aged first offender pleaded guilty to drunkenness, hut when charged with' failing to pay his tram-fare he raised the excuse that he had offered the conductor a concession ticket. Evidence was given that the ticket was exhausted. When asked by the magistrate if he had anything to say he re plied: "Well, your Worship, I must have gone two sections to Ponsonbj when I thought I had gone only one!' His Worship was amused at this, and remarked: "Usually when a man is drunk he sees two where there is onlj one, but in this case you saw one were there were two. Yes, you'll be con victed and ordered to pay costs £1 2/6 in default seven days." FINED £50 FOB BETTING. Arrested in the early hours of Sunday morning for drunkenness, Joseph Credin, a tailor, was searched at the police station, and among his effects <• "double" chart was found. When charged with being in Victoria Street for the purpose of betting, Credin pleaded guilty. Chief-Detective McIlvcney remarked "Well, sir, as the raco3 have been run I am now in a position to state that nobody won the double, so that this man has the whole sum, over £12, for himself." The bets made were half-crown wagers. The magistrate imposed a, fine of £50, in default three months. One week was allowed in which to find the money. FIVE BOTTLES OF BEER. Charles Crisp (31), who was chargec last week with being drunk when ir charge of a taxi-car, his case being pail heard, appeared again, when his counsel Mr. Leary, brought two more witnesses to say that Crisp, who admitted swallow in" the contents of five small bottles o: beer on the afternoon under review, waj not drunk, and that they, being respec table family people, had allowed him t< drive them as passengers. The cas< turned on several {joints—a doctor ha( examined him and said (in effect) tha he was intoxicated; accused admittec drinking five bottles of beer, ant said he was "not sober, bu not drunK"; witnesses for th< defence said Crisp walked straight. Mr Poynton, S.M., observed that there wen varying degrees of drunkenness. iiii point as to when a man was drunk ha< long been a point in dispute. There wa the saying: "'As drunk as a lord. . Mr. Leary. "Or, "as sober as a judge, your Worship I - ' (Laughter.) His Worship said the Police Offences Act defined three kinds of drunkenness: Found drunk, helpless drunkenness, drunk in charge of a vehicle. Air Leary: There i= the naval drunk, sir, where a man said, "He is not druntC for I saw him blink! The Magistrate found that Crisp had not been very drunk, but too drunk to b<? in charge of a motor car. Accused would be convicted and ordered to pay expenses i £1 3/.