MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 24028, 17 August 1943, Page 7

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

MONDAY (Before Mr .E. C. Levvey, S.M.) THEFT FROM STEAMER Michael Patrick Ryan, a barman, and showman (Mr J. K. Moloney), pleaded guilty to the theft on an inter-island steamer of four glasses and a towel valued I at £l, .. . , “We have had numerous complaints of ' thefts from the ferry steamers.” said Senior-Detective H. Nuttall. He said Ryan stole the glasses in which liquor was I served in his cabin. 1 Mr Moloney said the accused went I overseas with the 2nd Echelon and later > returned and served in Suva. "I am afraid the theft of towels and glasses is a sort [ of community offence,” said counsel. L Ryan was fined £l2 and ordered to pay ' costs, In default six weeks' imprison- • ment with hard labour. REMANDED ’ Irene Satchwell (Mr J. K. Moloney) pleaded not guilty to a charge of stealing > two table knives valued at £l, the pro- ! perty of Thomas George Lewis. She was , remanded, on the application of the police, 1 to August 23, bail at £IOO in her own recognisance being allowed. ; "This is a fresh charge since your ; Worship dealt with him the other day,” ’ said Senior-Detective Nuttall, when the • police asked for a remand to August 23 i in the case of* Patrick Joseph Ward, an I airman, aged 10, who was charged with ( unlawfully converting to his own use a , motor-car valued at £365, the property [ of the New Zealand Farmers’ Co-opera-tive Association of Canterbury, Ltd., on > August 15. The remand was granted. I UNLAWFULLY ON PREMISES 5 A youth, aged 18, for whom Mr J. K. I Moloney appeared, was called for sentence , on a charge of being found unlawfully - on the enclosed premises of the North t Canterbury Hospital Board’s Nurses’ Home i Tuam street. He came of a good family and bore a good character, said Mr Moloney. He had been in custody since Thursday and > it would be a salutary lesson to him. > “Dirty ideas have get to be checked," r said the Magistrate, who convicted and , ordered the accused to come up for sen- : tence if called on within two years. 1 Publication of the accused’s name was t forbidden. ’ BOOKMAKERS FINED I “It is not suggested this man Is In a big way; rather that he is an agent for a big man, working on commission,” said ■ Senior-Detective Nuttall when Albert Lib--1 erty Applin, a barman, aged 31 (Mr C. > S. Thomas), pleaded guilty to using the i public bar of the Oxford Hotel as a com- [ mon gaming-hause on August 14. i Mr Thomas said Applin took bets just ; to oblige customers. He received 10 per : cent, commission on doubles and 5 per l cent, on ordinary bets, but his commission for the two race days was only 8s and i 11s respectively. - Applin was fined £3O and ordered to . pay costs, in default three months’ imprl--1 sonment with hard labour. ' Cecil Gordon Smith, a barman, aged 37, ■ also pleaded guilty to a charge of using t the public bar of the Grand Hotel as a common gaming-house on August 14. Senior-Detective Nuttall said it was f known Smith had been taking bets over , the bar, and he had been “rather open” ' about handing out doubles charts. > Smith also was fined £3O and ordered t to pay costs, in default three months’ Im--3 prisonment. SHOPLIFTER SENT TO GAOL j Four months’ imprisonment with hard • labour was the sentence imposed on • Constance Augustine, a married woman, - aged 54, who pleaded guilty to four charges of shoplifting—theft of a two--3 piece suit valued at £7 17s 6d, and a I black lace jacket valued at £5 ss, the 3 property of the D.1.C.; theft of a raincoat valued at £4 4s, the property of the Para Rubber Company, and theft of three books valued at at £1 8s 6d, the property - of Whitcombe and Tombs, Ltd. s Senior-Detective Nuttall said the accused had arrived from Wellington on the day of the first offence. She had no , need to steal as she had £193 in her . possession when arrested. She had previ- ! ously been convicted in Wellington of > shpollfting and receiving. I Mr W. R. Lascelles, for the accused, i said she kept an apartment house. She l had suffered from inter-cranial pressure ; since adolescence, this causing severe headaches. She was still' under medical care after operations in 1941. Counsel submitted that this history of 111-health . accounted for her Instability. “It seems to be systematic shoplifting by this woman. Nothing can extenuate • that,” said the Magistrate. MAINTENANCE CASES (Before Mr F. F. Reid, S.M.) ! George William A. Todd and William i James Johnson, on charges of disobedl- > ence of maintenance orders, were each . sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, i warrant to be suspended so long as 5s 8 week is paid off the arrears, in ad--1 dition to current maintenance. ’ On a similar charge. Lan Mervyn Alexander was also sentenced to three months’ [ imprisonment, the warrant to be suspend- ; ed on payment of 2s 6d a week off the , arrears, in addition to current maintent ance.