INTERJECTOR AT MEETING

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26511, 28 August 1951, Page 8

INTERJECTOR AT MEETING

MAN CONVICTED AT OAMARU ORDERED TO PAY COSTS From Our Own Reporter OAMARU, August 27. A man who persistently interjected at a meeting addressed by the Prime Minister (Mr Holland) in Oamaru on August 16, and who re-entered the Opera House after being ejected by the police, was charged with having behaved in a disorderly manner, in the Magistrate’s Court at Oamaru today. He was Domenic Francis Sandri, a labourer, of Oamaru. Mr E. A. Lee. S.M., convicted Sandri, who was ordered to pay costs, 10s. Sandn pleaded not guilty. Mr H. J. S. Grater said that the charge of disorderly conduct had not been proved. He ouoted a statement made to the press by Mr Holland, on his return to Wellington, in which Mr Holland said of his South Island meetings: “There has been just a sufficient amount of friendly interjections to make the meetings interesting for the audiences, as well as tor myself. The prosecution was conducted by Senior-Sergeant D. Wilson, who submitted that Sandri had been guilty of disorderly conduct by coming back into the meeting after he had been put out by the police The case aroused considerable public interest, the spectators’ gallery being well filled when the hearing began. Constable I. E. Harris said that Sandri began to interject halfwav through the meeting. Witness warned him that he would have to leave the theatre if he created a disturbance, and Sandri said he was going out anyway. Witness let him out by the door at the back of the theatre. A few minutes later Sandri re-entered the hall by a door on the north side of the building. He again began interjecting. ana Mr Holland “took him on.” Witness tried to get to Sandri, but the theatre was very overcrowded. Before witness could reach him, he (Sandri) was put out by the seniorsergeant. Senior-Sergeant Wilson: What was the nature of the interjections? Constable Harris: About the coal shortage in Oamaru. Sandri told Mr Holland that he had nine children and could not get any coal. Some "barreek” then passed between Mr Holland and Sandri. Constable Harris said that Sandri again came back into the theatre and made another interjection about the coal shortage. Mr Holland then told Sandri that he would have him put out if he did not behave himself. A few minutes later Sandri was again put out of the theatre. Senior-Sergeant Wilson: What did Sandri do when he came back? Constable Harris: He raised his hat to Mr Holland and said: “Here I am. I’m back again.” Mr Grater: What was the nature of the interjections?

Constable Harris: Sandri was going on about the coal shortage. Did Sandri make any insulting remarks to the speaker?—No. Did he say anything of an insulting nature about the local National candidate, who was on the stage?—No. he never mentioned him.

Was Sandri the only person who interjected?—No. there were other interjections. Was Sandri the only person put out? —As far as I know he was. When Sandri came back into the hall after being put out, what form did his interjections take?—He was still on the subject of the coal shortage.

“Noisy Meeting” In reply to further questions by Mr Grater, witness said that there was booing during Mr Holland’s address, but he had not heard Sandri doing any booing. The meeting was noisy, but the police were not concerned at any time about a riot. To the Magistrate. Constable Harris said the difference between Sandri and the other interjectors was his persistency. His remarks would be tiring to the speaker. Mr Grater: Perhaps the speaker was a bit tiring to Sandri? Constable Harris said that there was no control in the body of the theatre by the National Party. 'Die aisles were crowded with people. To the Magistrate witness said the only objection to Sandri’s conduct was the persistency of his interjections about the coal shortage. He thought that Sandri had been drinking, although he was by no means under the influence of liquor. The Magistrate: Do you think Sandri had planned a campaign of interruptions? Constable Harris: No. I think he was trying to pick holes in what the speaker had to say. Senior-Sergeant Wilson said that he ejected Sandri who re-entered the theatre through another door. Sandri worked his way to the front of the crowd and shouted: “Here I am; I’m back again."

Mr then warned Sandri that he (Mr Holland) would ask the police to put him out if he interjected. Sandri kept on about the coal shortage and witness put him out the door and kept him there until the meeting ended. While he was outside the door Sandri twice gave “a loud boo.”

Mr Grater: What was there to distinguish this meeting from any other political meeting?—lt was noisy. There was booing, and also interjections. How would it compare with your experience of political meetings at Lyttelton?—They are quiet meetings, iney boycott their opponents’ meetings there.

Was there anything offensive in Sandri s conduct?—No.

No one in the theatre tried to take a smack at him?—No. Oamaru people don’t do that sort of thing. P P Haven’t you attended political meetings in past years at which there was booing?—We haven’t had that sort of thing in recent years. What do you do about the booing at lootball matches? You don’t take any action, do you?—No, not as a rule. So you don’t prosecute for booing? This is different. Sandri had been put out theatre and he didn’t stay

Why should he stay out? He had been invited, per medium of an advertisement, to attend the meeting. How about that?—Sandri should not have come back after he was put out.

Counsel’s Submissions Mr Grater said that there was no case to answer. When Mr Holland returned to Wellington he had said, according to a Press Association mes?a2e. that everywhere in the South island he had been received by very large audiences and with great enthusiasm.

The police case of disorderly conduct had not been proved, Mr Grater said, ine only objection was to Sandri’s persistence. He had not insulted the speaker and the only remarks he had made were about the coal shortage . In evidence Sandri said that he had interjected, but there were “dozens of others doing the same. He did not boo “ ntll he had been kept outside the door by the senior-sergeant His grievance with Mr Holland was about the coal shortage. The Magistrate, convicting Sandri and ordering him to pay costs, said that he could not quite follow why there should be a different standard of conduct at political meetings. Had Sandri behaved the same in the street he would have been guilty of disorderly conduct. However, there may have been others at Mr Holland’s meeting who could have been similarly charged. He would take that into consideration.