CONSTABLE'S CATCH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 22, 27 January 1936, Page 8

CONSTABLE'S CATCH.

" LICENSING BREACHES. THREE MEN IN POLICE COURT. While keeping the Queen's Head Hotel under observation on the night of December 14, Constable Holt saw a parcel of liquor being handed to a young man in a motor car. Before he could intercept the car drove off. However, as the result of the incident four men were charged with breaches of the Licensing Act in the Police Court this morning. The licensee, Eugene O'Connor, was charged with selling liquor after hours, the barman, Norman Roulston, with supplying liquor, while Christopher Molloy was charged with aiding and abetting and a porter named Hammond with supplying liquor and aiding and abetting. Mr. J. F. W. Dickson represented all four defendants. O'Connor and Roulston pleaded ctuilty, the other defendants denying the charges. Mr. Dickson pointed out that O'Connor had never before been charged with any offence and had a clean record. Unfortunately, he was responsible for the act of his servant, the barman who supplied the liquor. Counsel submitted that the constable had made a genuine mistake when he said that he was sure Molloy had handed liquor to one of the men in the car. As a matter of fact, it was not Molloy but another person. After hearing considerable evidence on both sides, the magistrate dismissed two charges against Hammond. Molloy was fined £4 and Costs on the aiding and abetting charge, Roulston £o and costs for supplying liquor, while the licensee was fined £5 and costs for selling liquor.