RACE DAY RAIDS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 215, 11 September 1944, Page 6

RACE DAY RAIDS

GAMING BREACHES NINE MEN TO PAY £450 With race meetings in progress at Ellerslie, Wellington and Wanganui on Saturday afternoon, members of the Auckland detective staff raided premises in the city to detect breaches of the Gaming Act. As a result, nine men were brought before Messrs. Edward Smith and Thomas Farrell, J.P.'s, in the Police Court this morning, when fines ranging from £5 to £100, and totalling £450 were imposed. "This man is in a very big way of business—one of the biggest in Auckland among the bookmakers, which is saying something," said De-tective-Sergeant J. Trethewey by way of introducing James Allen Phillips. Phillips, for whom Mr. Terry appeared, pleaded guilty to a charge of using premises as a common gaming house. Mr. Trethewey said that defendant occupied two rooms in a city building and when detectives called, three other men were busy assisting him. Phillips had previously been competed for breaches of the Gaming Act. The three men mentioned, Peter Brittain, Arthur Willoughby Rose and John Davies, who were each charged with assisting in the management of a common gaming house, also pleaded guilty. Mr. Terry admitted that Phillips' business was an extensive one, but said this fact was to defendant's credit, as such a business was run on the faith of the betting public. Phillips was a man of the utmost probity and integritv, as the police would readily admit. While serving in the last war he had been badly gassed and was unable to perform manual work. He paid the usual Social Security taxes and each year his books were examined by income tax inspectors, as if his business was a ordinary and legitimate one. Mr. Terry said nona of the three assistants had ever been previously convicted In reminding the Bench that Phillips would pay their fines, counsel asked that this might be taken into consideration in assessing the penalty. Phillips was fined £.100 and each of his three assistants £50. Another £100 Fine A fine of £100 was imposed upon Alexander Johnston, who admitted that he had used premises as a common gaming house. It was stated by Detective-Ser-geant Trethewey that Johnston, who had previously been before the Court for a similar offence, was also in a big way of business. Making his first appearance before any Court, Charles Albert Gilson pleaded guilty to a charge of using premises as a common gaming house. Detective-Sergeant Trethewey said Gilson had been carrying on for eighteen months and appeared to be in quite a large way of business. Mr. Terry, on defendant's behalf disagreed and said Gilson, who was not in good health, was only in the business in a limited way and did commission betting, receiving 2/ in the £. "Well, if that's been going on for eighteen months you will be fined £50," said Mr. Smith in assessing Gilson's penalty. George Sands was fined £30 for using premises as a common gaming house. Detective-Sergeant Trethewey said that while detectives were in Sands' office on Saturday he took some bets on the telephone. He had previously been fined £5 for laying tote odds. Speaking for defendant, Mr. Terry pointed out that Sands was not operating in a big way. A man in illhealth, he had managed to eke out a small living. Two War Pensioners Mr. J. J. Sullivan represented George Leslie Morris, who admitted a charge of carrying on the business of a bookmaker. Detective-Sergeant Trethewey said that for some time past Morris had been taking bets in a hotel bar. "While he is not in a big way, betting in hotel bars is a serious thing," added the detective-sergeant. Mr. Sullivan, in asking for leniency, said Morris was a returned soldier on a full war pension and could not work. A fine of £10 was imposed. Antonio Leonado Martin, who lost a leg during the last war, pleaded guilty when charged with carrying on the business of a bookmaker. Martin, said the prosecuting de-tective-sergeant, had admitted that he had been taking bets in hotel bars for six months. He, too, was in business only in a small way. He j refused to disclose the name of his principal. Mr. A. V. Fraer, appearing for Martin, said his client merely acted as an agent on commission. He received a -war pension of £7 10/ a month. Martin was fined £5.