CHARGE AGAINST A POLICE CONSTABLE.

Press, Volume XLV, Issue 7152, 23 August 1888, Page 5

CHARGE AGAINST A POLICE CONSTABLE.

At the R.M Court yesterday, before Mr Beetham, R.M., and Messrs Westenra and Hall, J.P.s, Buchanan Scott, a constable of the Christchurch force, was charged with misconduct in being under the in. fluence of liquor while on beat duty, Mr Stringer appeared for the accused, who had, he said, under the Police Force Act, 1860, elected to be dealt with by the Bench in preference to letting the Commissioner of Police deal with him. Sergeant - Major McDonald, in charge of the Police Depot, said that on Sunday, August sth, Sergeant Keating reported Scott. Witness saw him at 1.30 p.m., and he was then under the.influence of liquor. He was not drunk, but he was not sober. He was flushed and excited. He spoke intelligibly and walked straight. When witness knew a man well—as he did Scott —he could tell when he was under the influence of liquor. Sergeant Keating stated that he was in charge of the relief on the day named. He marched Scott out at 9 a.m. and brought him and two other constables in at 1 p.m. Witness paraded and dismissed them. After this Inspector Pender drew his attention to Scott, whom he then noticed to be under the influence of liquor. Had not noticed it before. The fact might have escaped his notice had not Inspector Pender spoken to him about it. Sergeant Briggs said he saw Scott when he came in; he had been drinking; his eyes had a hazy, muddled appearance ; he was not lit for duty. At 5 p.m. Scott was sent out on beat again; he was all right then. The accused sworn stated that on Saturday night there was a birthday party at his house; he did not go to bed till 5 o'clock on Sunday morning, and went on beat duty at 9 o'clock. Before leaving his own house he took a .glass pf whiskey. Had nothing to drink, nor was he in a public or any other house between that and 1 p.m. He had been punished several times for drinking, but had not been dismissed from the force in Otago on that account. J. Cranston, Jas. Gapes, G. Fuller, and Constable Kenny, all of whom had met and conversed with Scott on the morning named stated that they had seen no sign of drink on him. Mr Beetham said there was a good deal of uncertainty about the case, and accused would get the benefit of the doubt as to his actual state. He was not drunk, but there was no doubt there were traces of drink about him. He owed his escape to SergeantMajor McDonald's statement that he could talk intelligibly and walk straight. It was, however, a narrow escape for him, and he ought to accept it as a serious caution. Inspector Pender was quite justified in what he had done. A policeman who might be called on at a moment's notice to deal with the most important affairs ought to have all his wits about him, and a man who kept up a birthday all night and took a "pick mc up " in the morning before going on duty could scarcely be said to be in that posi tion. If he did not abstain altogether from drink he might be sure that sooner or later it —-ould secure his expulsion from the force.