PITT STREET RAID

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 256, 29 October 1942, Page 6

PITT STREET RAID

SEQUEL IN COURT

SLY-GROGGING ALLEGED

When opening an action before Mr. Justice Callan and a jury to-day, in which Don Rudolph Melhose (Mr. Dickson) was charged with sly grogselling, Mr. S. Cleal, for the Crown, drew attention to the fact that by recent regulations the onus in such cases was put on the defendant to prove his innocence in the event of the prosecution proving a reasonable ground for suspicion.

Sub-Inspector H. J. Joyce gave evidence of a number of visits by soldiers and sailors in taxis to No. 38, Pitt Street, between 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. on August 9. In crossexamination, he .said he knew defendant occupied No. 38, a shop which then had no markings on the window, and apparently no stock. He knew defendant at that time purchased quantities of wine, and that it was no offence for him to sell New Zealand wine in quantities of two gallons or more.

Constable F. J. Pine testified that he visited No. 38 on August 10 and purchased two quart bottles of beer for which he paid 5/. The beer was not given him by defendant, but he got it outside the shop from another man to whom defendant spoke. At first accused said he did not sell beer to strangers, and when reminded about another man who had just "one out. he said if witness had come i'?ght taX ' VVOulc ' llavc been all Constable L. C. Raid deposed to buying six- bottles of ale there the same night in No. 38 for 1.1/ j t was not defendant who gave him the beer, and he was told to wait in the street for it. Sergeant F. \V. Edwards testified that a raid on the premises later the same night resulted in the finding of two bottles of whisky, one bottle of gm, three bottles of New Zealand wine and four quart bottles of beer Cross-examined, he said the beer found was not of the same brand as that sold to Constable Reid or Con-h-,ap ?f Qt' IC ' ,Hc knew an °ther place nirrhlV'ir w r s s °afclied the same night by the police. (Proceeding)