MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23972, 12 June 1943, Page 7

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

FRIDAY (Before Mr E. C. Levvey, S.M.) REMANDED Myrtle Darrell, aged 17 years and 11 months, a factory hand, pleaded not guilty to a charge of converting to her own use, but not so as to be guilty of theft, a cycle valued at £B, the property of Peggy Barnett. "How do you plead?” asked the Clerk of the Court. "I don’t," replied the accused. "How do you plead, guilty or not guilty." repeated the clerk. "I don't plead,” replied the accused. "I can only take that as a plea of not guilty," said the Magistrate. "Take her away.” Darrell was remanded in custody to appear on June 14. TERM OF IMPRISONMENT Sydney Brown, a plumber, aged 57, was sentenced to 12 months’ imprisonment with hard labour for an indecent act with intent to offend. CHARGE OF THEFT Alexander William Charlett, who had already been sentenced in the Supreme Court for attempted breaking and entering, appeared for sentence on a charge of stealing a chisel valued at 3s 6d and with converting to his own use a cycle valued at £6. On each charge he was convicted and discharged. BREACHES OF TRAFFIC REGULATIONS For riding cycles at night without lights, Bevan Conrad Brunt, Raymond Quayle Curron, Lloyd Higham, James Hill, Joseph Hodgson, Maud Howard, Leslie McDougall, Horace Milne, Raymond Douglas Sklpworth Sewell, John Williams, and Jack William Ditford were each fined 10s, William Iredale was fined ss, and Robert Henry Burns was ordered-to pay costs. For wrongly parking a motor-car, Walter John Taylor was fined ss. CASE DISMISSED Arthur Alfred France (Dr. A. L. Haslam), driver of a trolley-bus, was charged with driving without due care and attention. Sub-Inspector J, F. H. Macnamara said that on April 21 defendant was driving a trolley-bus in Cashel street. There was a push-chair on the bus and this extended some eight or nine Inches outside the line of the bus. The push-chair had struck a cyclist.

The Magistrate said that the evidence submitted did'not justify him in entering a conviction. "These blessed cyclists. They won’t move if you blow your horn six times,” he said in dismissing the case.