"NO MERCY"

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 301, 20 December 1943, Page 4

"NO MERCY"

HINDERING police

WARNING BY MAGISTRATE

"The position in Auckland is pretty tense and the police have got a hard job to do. Those who interfere with them will get no mercy from the Courts. "Vou may have caused a riot said Mr. J. H. Luxford, S.M, in the Police Court this morning, t 0 Tames Toko (39). a Maori, in sending him to prison for obstructing Constable D. Motley. Toko, who was also charged with resisting the constable, pleaded guilty to both charges. Senior Sergeant P. Munro said Constables ,Motley and Steers saw a number of servicemen and Maoris causing a disturbance in Myers Park at S3O on Saturday night. Both constables went in to disperse the men Constable Motley had occasion to arrest a serviceman, whereupon Toko grabbed hold of the serviceman and tried to drag him away from him "An ugly scene then followed." added the senior sergeant, "for eight other Maoris joined in and Constable Motley was knocked to the ground. The serviceman got away and Constable Motley had to use his baton to hold the Maoris off." On the first charge Toko was sentenced to three months' imprisonment and was convicted and discharged on the second, Smashed Constable's Torch A Maori soldier on furlough, Joseph Herbert (28), pleaded guilty to a charge of mischief by wilfully damaging a torch valued at 15/ belonging to Constable Motley. It was stated by Senior Sergeant Munro that while the constable was having trouble with the servicemen and Maoris in Myers Park on Saturday night, he lost his torch and asked Herbert to retrieve it for him. Herbert then picked up the torch and deliberately smashed it to pieces on the ground. Herbert had nothing to say. "You have been in trouble previously for obscene language, resisting the police and mischief, don't you think you ought to take a pull?" Mr. Luxford asked. "Yes, I think I will after this," tha Maori soldier replied. * Herbert was fined £2- and ordered to make good the damage done.