AFTER-HOUR TRADING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 237, 6 October 1936, Page 9

AFTER-HOUR TRADING.

LICENSEE'S SECOND OFFENCE. In the Police Court at Otahuhu yesterday, -before Mr. McKean, S.M., Charles Nicholson, licensee of the Star Hotel, Otahuhu, was charged with illegally supplying liquor after hours. Sergeant Cahill stated that on September 18 Constables Gawler and Archibald visited the hotel at 9.30 p.m. and there found three men consuming liquor in a back room. The bar was in darkness and there was no sign of the licensee, who was upstairs preparing for bed. When questioned by the police, Nicholson' was quite frank and admitted having sold the liquor. Nicholson, continued the sergeant, had been hotelkeeping for five years and his only previous offence was committed about one month ago, when he was fined £5 on a similar charge. Counsel for Nicholson pleaded for leniency and pointed out that there was no intention of supplying the men with more liquor and it was a case of good nature overcoming good judgment. "It is unfortunate that it is only a few weeks since his previous conviction," stated Mr. McKean. "However, he has been perfectly frank and candid and I am taking that into consideration. Had he told untruths the penalty would have been much heavier. Nicholson was convicted and fined £3. Arising out of the police visit to the hotel four men, C. E. Clarke, J. Creagen, R. Livesey and C. E. Wells, were charged with being found unlawfully on licensed premises. All pleaded guilty except Wells, who claimed that he had gone to see the licensee about fixing a defective beer pump which he had installed. Mr. McKean refused to believe his story and with the other three he was convicted and fined £1, plus 10/ costs.