MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26055, 7 March 1950, Page 3

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

MONDAY (Before Mr Raymond Ferner, S.M.) COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE David Archibald, aged 22 fc and Nelson Gordon Carson, aged 20, were -jointly charged with breaking and entering the counting-house of Hume D. Christie, Ltd., 57 Victoria street, and committing thefl on January 28. They were also jointly charged with stealing a motor-car, valued at £6OO, the property of Hume D. Christie, Ltd.

Hume Douglas Christie, in evidence, said he found that his garage had been broken into and that his motor-car was missing. A radio, moneybox, and some cigarettes, valued at between £4O and £45, had also been taken. Detective-Sergeant A. B. TatG said the accused admitted the offences. The stolen motor-car had been driven to Motueka where it had been abandoned after it had struck a pole.

Both the accused pleaded guilty and were committed to the supreme Court for sentence.

DRUNKENNESS Henry Bruce, aged 42, a second offender, was convicted and' fined £2, in default 48 hours’ imprisonment, on a charge of being found drunk in a public place. Cn a similar charge, Graham Spurgeon Scott, aged 48, a third offender, was convicted and fined £3, in default six days’ imprisonment. FALSE PRETENCES Harry Walter Reid (Mr J. K. Moloney), aged 56. pleaded guilty to six charges of false pretences and was sentenced to six weeks’ imprisonment on each of four charges, the sentences to be cumulative. On the other two he was convicted and discharged.

By issuing valueless cheques with intent to defraud, Reid had obtained money and goods to the value of £l4 from Allan Locksley Lummis, £5 from Sydney Bardsley, £9 from Undrill Brothers, Ltd., £5 from Douglas Allison, £l3 from Thomas Balfour Stubbings, and £7 3s from Samuel Edgar Boanas. Detective-Sergeant A. B. Tate said the accused was not in physical condition to do hard work. In the first of his offences when he had no bank account, he had admitted to the police that he had known the cheques he had issued were valueless. Later he opened an account and proceeded to issue cheques far in excess of his deposit. Unfortunately for the accused he had had a number of previous experiences in the same kind of offence. Mr Moloney said the accused had spent long periods in hospital and had had several operations. Ills expectation of life was not long. The Magistrate said he found it hard to know what to do with Reid, who was facing his twenty-ninth conviction. The latest offences had been committed while he was under a suspended sentence imposed in the Supreme Court. THEFT FROM MARCHING GIRLS Frank Edward Eiffe (Mr J. K. Moloney), aged 26, pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing the sum of £4B, the property of Mavis Evelyn McDonald and others. Detective-Sergeant Tate said Eiffe had met Mr and Mrs McDonald, who were keenly interested in girls marching teams, at a dance, and had passed himself off as a coach of marching teams. The accused had then used the name of Frank Edwards. The Braemar girls' marching team, in which the McDonalds were interested, had arranged to travel with other teams to Invercargill and the members had subscribed the sum of £4B with which to pay their fares. Mrs McDonald had handed over the money to accused, who had promised to get the travel tickets; Eiffe told Mrs McDonald the fares had been paid but inquiries showed that no rail tickets had been bought nor any arrangements made for transport of the team. Detective-Sergeant Tate said the accused knew that some of the girls, would have had difficulty in raising the money necessary for their fares to Invercargill. Luckily officials of the girls' ■ larching competitions had “come to light” and the team was able to travel. No restitution had been made. Mr Moloney said that although the theft was a mean one, he asked for what leniency the Court could extend, because the accused had not been before the Court before. The Magistrate, imposing a sentence of two months’ imprisonment with nard labour, said the theft was despicable and mean—at the expense of working girls. REMANDED Russell Thomas Walklin, aged 22 (Mr G. C. Sandston), was remanded until March 13 on a charge of committing rape on February 26, at Christchurch. Bail was allowed in the sum of £lOO and two sureties of £ 100. Allan Lloyd O’Connor, aged 22, a clerk, was remanded until March 13 on a charge of being found in a state of intoxication in charge of a motor-car, on March 4. Bail was allowed in the sum of £25. Edward William Noel Young (Mr J. K. Moloney), aged 35, was remanded to March 9 on a charge of stealing £55 10s 9d, the property of the Ministry of Works on February 26. Bail ’ -as allowed in the sum of £lOO and one surety of £lOO. CONVICTED AND DISCHARGED Frederick William Edmonds (Mr W. F. Brown), who pleaded not guilty, was committed and discharged on a charge of assaulting Maud Annie O’Connor on March BREACH OF PROHIBITION ORDER Leslie James Owen Toole, aged 24, was fined £2 for procuring liquor during the currency of a prohibition order.