POLICE COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 293, 11 December 1925, Page 5

POLICE COURT.

(Before.Mr. J. W. Poynton, S3L. ans Sir. L. J. Pegler, J.P.) ABSENT WITHOUT LEAVE. Two members of the crew of tha Tekoa, Robert Johnston and John MβLeod, who were each charged with being absent from the vessel without leave, were ordered to. pay £2 7/, being tha expenses incurred by their arrest. Each was also ordered to forfeit two days* pay. For assaulting an elderly man in the police cells last night, Johnston, who stated that he was drunk and did not remember anything about the matter, was convicted and discharged. THOUGHT HE LAUGHED AT HIM. "My client was going home under the influence of liquor and thought that complainant was. laughing at him when he was trying to open his front gate. He then went over and hit him." stated Mr. ■Snedden,' in ' ' appearing for Alexander Charles Kerr, who pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting J. W. Spraggs. Senior Sergeant Edwards said that complainant was just over 70 years of age. He .was standing by his gate waiting for Ilia wife when accused came over to him and said "Who are you looking at." Complainant said he was not looking at Kerr, whereupon the latter said, "A man ought to crack- you." Kerr then struck the old man. Mr. Spraggs had to be attended to by a doctor. The Bench fined Kerr £3, directing that half of this sum should go to complainant. Kerr was also ordered to pay costs, including £11/ medical .expenses. EX-NAVAL MAN'S LAPSE. An ex-naval man of fine physique, Walter Jesse Bourne (31) stood in the dock to plead guilty to six charges of having failed to account to the Auckland Fruit Company for sums of money totalling £5 odd. ■Chief Detactive Cummings said that Bourne had been employed as 'a motor driver for the Auckland Fruit Company from November 4 to November 2C. During this brief period he collected the money which he converted to his own use. Accused was a married man with two children, his wife and family at present being in Fremantle, Australia. He was the subject of a maintenance order in their favour. Bourne, who WjIS a master at arms on H.M. Sloop Veronica, deserted that vessel at Devonport in 1923 owing to his domestic troubles. Mr. Poynton: He seems to have had a brain storm—the moneye were converted to his own use during a short period. I. will remand him for a week in order to obtain a report from tb* Probation Officer.

RACECOURSE I TRESPASSERS. William Brighting pleaded that he was ignorant of the law which debarred him from attending race meetings. He was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon, for trespassing on the Alexandra Park course during the progress of a race meeting. On behalf of Cletus O'Brien, a young man who was similarly charged, Mr. Wilson stated that defendant was under the impression that he was allowed '-.o attend race meetings on the expiry of ]his term of probation. O'Brien was fined £5. Frederick William Doble was also j fined £5 for trespassing on the Alexandra ' Park course at the recent trotting mcciin 8v:': -..'■*: . iJliifirt A CHARGE WITHDRAWN. ■*, A charge was brought against Charles Purdy of having assaulted his father, Leopold Purdy, on December 2. When the case was called, Mr. J. J. Sullivan, who appeared for complainant, stated that he had conferred about the matter with Mr. Alan Moody, who appeared for defendant. »An undertaking had been given by defendant that the offence would not be repeated. He asked that the charge should be withdrawn, and this was agreed to.