MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25735, 22 February 1949, Page 3

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

MONDAY. (Before Mr Raymond Ferner, S.M.)

ADMITTED TO PROBATION John Thomas Berry (Mr R. A. Young), who had pleaded guilty at a previous sitting of the Court to five charges of false pretences by the issue of valueless cheques, the total sum involved being £52, appeared for sentence. Mr Young assured the Magistrate that full restitution had been made. The Magistrate said it was unusual to grant probation for offences of this type. However, full restitution had been made, the accused realised the gravity of the offence, and appeared repentant. The accused would be granted special consideration because ■ of the probation officer’s good report, and he would be given a chance to rehabilitate himself. Berry was admitted to probation for a period of two years. REMANDED William George Brown, a wharf labourer, aged 34. pleaded not guilty to a charge of having secreted himself on board the s s. Marabank without the consent of the master. Senior-Sergeant J. J. Kearns said the accused had stowed away on the Marabank at Rarotonga and had paid his fare to Makatea to a member of the crew*. The authorities had refused to take him at Makatea and he was again put aboard the Marabank. The accused was a good class of man and had a business in Rarotonga. The only course appeared to be to return him to Rarotonga Brown, who had the assistance of an interpreter, was remanded till Friday. CASTING OFFENSIVE MATTER John Farrell, aged 25, 'pleaded guilty to a charge of casting offensive matter in a public place on February 20. Farrell was fined £2. IMPRISONMENT FOR THEFT Wilfred Terence McDonald (Mr J. K. Moloney) pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing a radio worth £2O 10s, the property of the Railway Department. Detective-Sergeant G. W. Alty said the accused had been employed as a floor-man in the railway goods sheds. To detectives he had admitted stealing the radio from the sheds at night. It had not yet been recovered and the accused had told the police that he had “swapped" it for another. Detective-Sergeant Alty said the charge was a simple case of ordinary pillaging The accused had not been in serious trouble before. The Magistrate, in imposing a sentence of six weeks’ imprisonment with hard labour, said this charge of pillaging could not be treated differently from others that had come before the Court.