A MIX-UP.

Auckland Star, Volume LVIII, Issue 275, 21 November 1927, Page 8

A MIX-UP.

AT POLICE COURT.

WRONG MAN CHARGED.

MISTAKE DISCOVERED IX TIME.

George Grainger (22), who was waiting in the queue at the prisoner's room at the Police Court this morning, to answer a charge concerning a maintenance matter, had a narrow escape from being consigned to the custody of the commander of H.M.s. Laburnum, at the Devon port Naval base, as a deserter from H.M.S. Renown.

The clerk called the name of Bernard Plackett, on a charge of deserting from the Renown, when the battle cruiser was at Wellington in March last.

Just what happened after this is not definitely known. However, Grainger stepped out of the prisoners' room and into the dock. Senior Sergeant McCarthy described him as the man who deserted from the warship and asked that he be handed over to the naval authorities, who wanted his custody. "Do you admit being the man," the magistrate asked Grainger, who replied "Yes."

The order, to hand the man in the dock over to the waiting sailors and officer from the Laburnum was made, and Grainger left the dock.

Then somebody discovered that a mistake had been made and Grainger was brought back.

"Do you know that you stood there and listened to what was said about you being a naval deserter, and admitted that you were the man?" the magistrate asked Grainger.

"Yes, sir, but I got a bit mussed up and didn't know what was happening," he said. —

The real man, Plackett, then appeared and admitted that he deserted from the Renown.

He was ordered to be handed over to the naval authorities.

All's well that ends well.