CULPRITS IN COURT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 71, 11 May 1943, Page 5

CULPRITS IN COURT

A LONG-STANDING NUISANCE

NIGHT IMIOW'LERS FIXED

Echoes of the 'Peeping Tom' nuisance which a short while ago was a source of considerable consternation in this town, probably had some bearing on the sorry looking trio which appeared before Messrs G. Brabant and C. H. Christensen in the Whakatane Court yes'terday mornilng. All cases were connected with the unlawful presence of the accused on the premises of the domestic quarters of the Wha-' kaf ana Public. Hospital where the practice has apparently become so openly brazen that the delinquents have actually received meals there at the lianas; of Maori members of the staff. One of the accused being onlj' 17 years of age Avas remanded to appear before the children's court next month. The other two David Edmund Brewer and liei Honana were summarily charged, pleaded guilty and elected to be dealt with forthwith. Sergeant Farrell said that Brewer was found on the premises, at midniglit on May 3rd, and, Honana on May ?th. The hospital authorities he said had had endless trouble witli this sort of thing as the. domestic staff was mainly composed of Maor! females and a certain type of Maori had made a great nuisance by hanging round the buildings and frightening the girls. In the past there had been many flagrant instances of Maoris; even occupying the unoccupied, rooms and the Board would like an example made of the offenders in order to- in putting the practice down. Twelve months ago a similar position had arisen and the offenders were imprisoned. As a result the trouble had been checked but since then it had broken out again and required stern measures to put it ilown. Mr Barry for Honana said, that the accused in this instance was a married man with a young family. He had been invited to the quarters by one of the maids who was a friend of < his. He had no intention of creating a disturbance or of making a nuisance of himself and if imprisoned the penalty would react upon bis wife and child.

Pointing out that the offence was punishable by a maximum fine of £10 or six months' imprisonment the bench fmecl Brewer £6 and Honana £7 and costs —to be paid within 3 days.