THE COURTS.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19852, 13 February 1930, Page 3

THE COURTS.

SUPREME COURT.

CRIMINAL SESSIONS. (Before his Honour Mr Justice Adams ) WEDNESDAY. Alfred Saunders Webster J?° h guilty to a charge of alleged as ®®" _ te d intent to commit rape, lie was reprcs by Mr F. D. Sargent. „„„,,fnr Mr A. T. Donnelly, Crown P r °secut<J , said, after the case for the Crown , heard, that there was not sufficient ® v ' d . j to support the first count, and suggested the charge remain as one of indecent ass , or common assault. , The jury retired at 12.45 p.p- .. turned at 2.15 p.m. with a verdict of guiuj of common assault only. Sentence was deferred until Friday. Ernest William Ernie (Mr C. S. .Thomas) pleaded not guilty to a charge of M f» exposed himself to a boy with the intent of insulting him. , The jury retired at 3.18 p.m. and _ return.a at 4.5 p.m. with a verdict of not guilty, tie prisoner being thereupon released. George Gilpin Pickens (Mr Hobbs) was remanded for sentence till Friday, having pleaded guilty to a charge of common assau on a woman at Cheviot. The Court will resume at 10.15 a.m. tomorrow.

MAGISTERIAL. WEDNESDAY. (Before Mr H. D. Lawry, S.M.) MEAL UNPAID FOR. John Buchanan and Thomas Fleming pleaded guilty to charges of incurring liability for the sum of Is 3d to Bernard Owen Morgan, thus obtaining credit by fraud. It was stated that both the defendants had gone into Morgan's fish shop and had ordered and eaten a meal. When they were asked to pay it was found that they had only sixpence between them. Each was convicted and sentenced to 48 hours' imprisonment with hard labour. • REMANDED. Esther Clorine Anderson, a domestic servant, aged 21, was remanded until to-day on a charge of stealing £5 in money, the property of Violet James. ON LICENSED PREMISES. Michael Ambrose Buckley appeared on four charges as follows: —That lie was found drunk in the public bar of the Royal George Hotel on February 11th, that he did refuse to quit the premises on the request of the licensee, that he did enter licensed premises while a prohibited person, and that he did procure liquor when prohibited. On the first count he was fined 10s, in default 24 hours' imprisonment, and on the second was fined £2, in default seven days' imprisonment, the terms to be cumulative. On the lastStwo charges he was convicted and discharged.

PRISON ESCAPEE. Roy Raymond Witting was charged with escaping from Paparua Prison on April 3 Bth, 1927. lie was remanded until February 18 th. UNLICENSED WIRELESS SETS. Alfred Ernest Russell, for being in possession of an unlicensed wireless set, was fined 5s with costs. For similar offences Henry Vino Collett was fined 5s and costs, William Smith was fined 5s and costs, and Allan Nelson Silcouk was fined 10s and costs. DANGEROUS' DRIVING. James P. Drewitt was fined 30s and costs for driving a car at a speed dangerous to the public. ALLEGED ASSAULT. Madelino Constance Dack (Mr A. W. Brown) was proceeded against on a charge of assaulting Lynwood Hollings (Mr E. S. Bowie) on February 4th. After hearing the evidence for the informant, the Magistrate dismissed the case. UNDER-SIZE FLOUNDERS. John Brown, Osear Cosgrovc, Chatlcs Johnson, and Wewi Taiaroa were charged with having in their possession flounders under nine inches in length on December 10th. Mr A. W: Brown, who appeared for the informant, said that the defendants had two boats engaged in fishing on Lake Ellcsmere on December 10th. A considerable number of under-sized flounders had been caught. Tho fish were dead, and could not have been intended to be put back in the water. The offence amounted to a wholesale destruction of fish, John Digby, inspector, said that be had visited Lake Ellesmere at 5 a.m. on the morning in question. He had discovered a considerable number of under-sized flounders in both boats, in one of which they were cleaned in readiness for the market. Flounders were plentiful at the lake at the time. Brown, a Maori, when asked if ho had any-, thing to say for himself, said: "I was always, led to believe that the Treaty of Waitangi allowed us a certain amount of latitude, ■whether legal or otherwise. That is all I have to say."

Tho Magistrate: This Treaty of Waitangi is something of a cure-all. All the defendants pleaded guilty, but denied having as many under-sized fish as was stated in the evidence of the inspector.

They were convicted, Brown being fined £2 with costs,, and the others £1 with costs.

KAIAPOI. (Before Mr E. D. Mosley, S.M>) James Heron, charged with procuring' liquor during the currency of his prohibition order, waa convicted and fined £3 and costs 10s. J. A. Burnip, on a charge of carrying out plumbing work and not being registered as a plumber under the Plumbers' Registration Act, 1912, by the Kaiapoi Borough Council, waa convictpd and fined 10a and costs 10b. Judgment for plaintiff by default was given in the case A. Linlclatcr v. J. Solomoni being claim for 15s 6d. In the caso Bishops v. \\J. Baird in a claim for £3 4a debtor, who did not appear, was ordered to pay the amount of the claim forthwith, in default 48 hours' imprisonment.