MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20898, 4 July 1933, Page 7

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

♦ MONDAY. ( Before Mr E. D. Mosley, S. M.) SERIES OF THEFTS. Ronald Bertie Moher, aged 26, and Mason .Samuel Branch, aged 17 'Mr W. F. Tracyi. pleaded guilty to 13 joint charges and several individual charges of theft of bicvcles, electric light bulbs, and clothing. Senior-Sergeant, J. Fox said that there were 27 charges of theft involved. Of the joint charges, 13 related to the theft of electric light bulbs, two to the theft of clothes from clothes lines, and seven to the theft of bicycles. Against Branch there was one charge of the theft of a bi- ( ..'cle and two of thefts from dance halls. Moher was charged with the theft of two bicycles and one theft from a dance hall. Practically all the thefts had been committed when Ihc recused were together. Branch had been frank about the offences, but. Moher was not so frank. However, when he discovered that Branch had given details of the offences, he also was quite frank. About four or five weeks before the accused were arrested Branch had disappeared from his home. He met Moher at a dance, and wen' with him to live at a bach in St. Martii.- From this time the offences wei'L, committed. The proceeds of the thefts had been spent at dance halls. The theft of the bulbs had been definitely planned. The value of the bulbs stolen was £ll, but they had been sold for lis 3d. The stolen property had been sold for what the men could obtain for it. Most of the bicycles stolen had been recovered after they had been dismantled and sold to dealers. Branch had been under the care of the Child Welfare Officer since January, 1932, for the theft of £4. Moher had a particularly bad record, with eight convictions, six being for theft. The circumstances of a former ease in which Moher had been convicted were similar to those of the present charge, for in that case a youth had also been Moher's partner in the offences. It would probably be in Moher's interests, and certainly in the public interest, that he be put away for as long a period as possible. The total value of the property stolen was £4O 3s 9d, and there would be about £lO worth of property unrecovered. Moher was sentenced to six months' imprisonment with hard labour, to be followed by a period of reformative detention not exceeding 18 months. Branch was placed on probation for two years and ordered to pay £5 in restitution, in such instalments as the Probation Officer should order. Strict conditions were applied to the probation. DRUNKENNESS. John Peris, a cook, 40 years of age, ■was fined 20s and costs, in default 48 hours' imprisonment, on a second conviction for drunkenness within six months. William Brown, a labourer, aged 40, similarly convicted, was also fined 20s and costs, in default 48 hours' imprisonment with hard labour. NO LICENSES. For not having drivers' licenses 70 persons were charged. The following were fined with costs:—Ernest A. Adams, 10s; Albert Anderson, ss; James George Andrews. 10s; George F. Anson, ss; Gordon Aston, ss; John Evlyn Austin, 10s; George Bason, 10s; Eric T. Beaven, ss; Herman Bicknell, 10s; Haiold Broadhurst, 10s; James Carter, ss; Thomas Champion, ss; William D. Collie, ss; Francis R. Cotton, 10s; Mrs Minnie Crawshaw, 10s; Thorny Crozier, 10s; Sydney Renulph Dae is: Colin Drabble, 3s: Harry Ellwooci, 10s; Cecil George Glass. 10s; Albert Goodhind, 10s; James W. Graham. 10s; Peter C. Harris, 19s; Philip H. Hathaway, 10s; Charles James Jones, 10s; Henry Giles Livingstone. 10s; Mrs Marjorie M. Macdonald, 10s; James Mac Gibbon, 10s; Geoigc D. Marchant. ss; Robert C. Mawer. 10s; Alfred Moody, ss; David McClure, 10s; Robert McGloin. 10s; Douglas McGuire, ss; David McMillan,' 10s; Frederick Nelson, 10s; Kichard Thomas Piper, 10s; . William Piiest, 10s; Daniel Reese, 10s; Cyril Rhodes, 10s; George F. Robinson, 10s; Allan Satterthwaite, 10s; Wilfred Shaw, ss; Herbert Stevens, 10s; Gordon Stewart, 10s; William Swarbrick, 10s; Henry C. "Urlwin, ss; Arthur G. van Asch. 10s; James Henry Watson, ss; Frank Weatherall, 10s; Trevor J. Wellsmore. 10s; Leonard B. Wendleborn, 10s; Cora Wilding, 10s; Leslie A. Wilson, 10;;; Wilfred G. Wright, 10s. William R. Carey was fined costs only. The following were fined without costs - —William F. Lang. ss; Henry James Milligan, ss; Thomas Stobart, ss. Cutting Corner—Trevor Richard Hill, 10s and costs, and! for failing to signal a right-hand turn he was fined ijs and costs. VOLUNTARY APPEARANCES. Fines with costs were imposed on Ihe following, who made voluntary appearances for not having a driver's license: —James Algie, 10s; Thomas W. Armour, 10s; St. George Atkinson. 10s; Alick Bonney, ss; Cecil G. Mason. 10s; Cecil Preece, 10s; Raymond Richards, 10s; Reuben Rolands, ss; Ronald A. Smith, ss; Donald Climie, ss, arid for driving at a dangerous speed, £2; Robert John Cole, 10s; Arthur D. Saul, 3 os, for driving a vehicle with misleading number-plates, £3, and for driving an unlicensed vehicle 20s. Cutting a Corner—Robert Knowles Norton, 10 s.

(Before Mr H. P. Lawry, S.M.) DISSOLUTION OF ORDERS.

George Cann was convicted and sentenced to six months' imprisonment with hard labour for disobedience of a maintenance order. The issue of warrant is to be suspended provided arrears are paid off at the rate of 2s 6d a week, in addition to the amount of the current order.. Similarly charged, John Anderson Thompson was convicted and sentenced to one month's imprisonment with hard labour, the issue of the warrant to be suspended provided arrears are paid off at the rate of 2s 6d a week, in addition to the amount of the current order.