MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21387, 1 February 1935, Page 16

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

THURSDAY (Before Mr E. D. Mosley, S.M.) THEFTS BY NURSE Gwendoline Mavis Evans, a nurse, aged 27, of Disraeli street (Dr. A. L. Haslam), pleaded guilty to the thefts, on December G, of £2, belonging to Jessie Margaret Beere; on December 28. of £4 2s 2d, belonging to Ethel Graham; and on November 29, of £4 12s' 2d, belonging- to Kathleen Rosina O'Connell. She was remanded to appear for sentence on February 7. Chief-DeteCtive W. H. Dunlop said that accused had been a senior nurse at the Cashmere Sanatorium. Miss Beere was also a nurse there. Miss Beere had written a letter enclosing £2, and addressed it to Beath and Co., Ltd.. and left it to /be posted. She had told the accused what she had done. The letter had not been received by the firm, and enquiries had been made. Beath and Co., Ltd., then received a letter signed by "D. Jones," enclosing £2 asking thus sum to be credited to Miss Beere's account. After enquiries had been made by the police, the writing of the letter was compared with that of the accused. and they were identical. The accused then admitted the theft. Because there had been complaints of other thefts at the sanatorium, the accused was questioned about them, and she admitted stealing money from Miss O'Connell and Miss Graham. The amount not recovered was £8 16s 4d. The matron 'at the sanatorium had been deeply shocked about the affair, and said she looked upon the accused as one of the most reliable nurses on the staff. Dr. Haslam said the case was most pathetic. Accused had been four years at the sanatorium, and in every respect : hitherto h?r character had been entirely blameless. Her career was now ruined. , .It was extremely difficult lo find a motive for the thefts. The accused had had a very strict upbringing, and was a solid and reliable type. The magistrate remanded the accused for a week to allow a report to he obtained. He refused an application for the suppression of her name. Bail was allowed in accused's own recognisance of £2!), with one surely of £2! i.

REMANDED Robert Cyril Tolfer, a labourer, aged 40 (Mr R. A. Young), was remanded to appear on February 7 on a charge of robbing Alexander Milne of £l7 on March 12, 1934, and of using personal violence. GUN POINTED Charles Edward -Bromley, a war pensioner, aged 52, of Mace's road, faced three charges: (1) On January 23, at Christchurch. unlawfully assaulting Vernon Harold Smith; (2) on January 23, at Christchurch, damaging five panes of glass and a window sash, valued at 15s. the property of Vernon Harold Smith; and (3) presenting a lirearm at Vernon Harold Smith. Sub-Inspector D, A. Maclean said that accused was known to Smith, his landlord, as Harris. Complainant Smith went to collect ient on January 23, and found Bromley under the influence of liquor. Bromley was very abusive .and Smith went away, but accused followed him to his home, using abusive language, and throwing stones at him. ' One stone accused threw at Smith's glasshouse, and when Smith went into his house accused smashed windows and presented a rifle at him. , . On the first charge accused was flned 20s, in default seven days' imprisonment; on the second he was ordered to pay the amount of the damage done, 15s: and on the third he was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within six montTts.

NO TAIL LIGHT Edward John McNeil was ordered to pay costs for driving a motor-car at night without a tail light. ' SUNDAY TRADING Agnes Henrietta Goom was fined 10s and ordered to pay costs for opening her shop for the sale of goods on a Sunday. FIRE WITHOUT PERMIT Percy Edward Harbott was ordered to pay costs for lighting a fire in tte open without obtaining a permit. INDECENT ASSAULT Edward Arthur Collins, a labourer, aged 59, of Poulsen street, pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting a male. He was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. John Irving Simpson, a labourer, aged 44, of 372 Worcester street (Mr D. W. Russell), was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence on five charges,of indecent assault on males. BREACHES OF AWARDS ' (Before Mr H. A. Young, S.M.) For failing to pay an employee the award rate of wages, Frederick, Joseph Tentori, a butcher, was ordered to pay a penalty of Is, together with costs. (For the defendant, Mr F. D. Sargent said that the breach had arisen through a misunderstanding. Thomas G. Noonan (Mr A. J. Malley) was ordered to pay a penalty of 10s for failing to register' a contract [of apprenticeship. For failing to register his joinery premises under the Factories Act he was convicted and ordered to pay costs. A. J. Archibald, a motor engineer (Mr R. A. Young) was ordered to pay a penalty of 10s for failing to pay the award rate to a garage attendant. CIVIL CASES (Before Mr H. A. Young, S.M.) JUDGMENTS BY DEFAULT Judgment for plaintiff by. default was given in each of the following cases:—Para Rubber Company, Ltd. v. G. Brown, 15s* J. H. Thomas, trading as Gibbs, Brothers, v. Martha U. Jones, £2 13s 6d; C. Gread v. Cyril Cameron, £2 7s 6d; George Illingworth v. Rose Amelia Diedrichs, £42 10s; Frederick Henry Cotton v. William Edgar Udell, 13s lOd; Joseph Mcllroy v. J. Brady, £7 16s, and order for possession; C. W. Rose, trading as Oasis Service Station, v. W. Stacey, £3 9s Bd. JUDGMENT SUMMONSES H. Woodham was ordered to pay the New Zealand Grinding and Gear Company, Ltd., £3l 8s forthwith, in default four days' imprisonment. H. J. L. Roberts was ordered to pay W. Pickering £8 16s forthwith, in default nine days' imprisonment, issue of warrant to be suspended as long as defendant pays 5s a fortnight, first payment to be made on February 11. • CLAIM FOR CHATTELS Mrs Alice Vincent, of 21 Cumberland street (Mr D. W. Russell) claimed from Mrs Mary Rutter, of • Christchurch (Mr W. R. Lascelles) return of certain chattels, or their value, £4 15s 6d, together with £4 10s for their detention. Plaintiff set out that on October 27, 1934, she demanded possession of the chattels but defendant had refused. Defendant contended that she had bought the chattels in question from plaintiff, for' 10s. The magistrate made an order for the return of the chattels, with 10s as damages. He fixed the value of the goods at £2.