MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26560, 24 October 1951, Page 5

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

TUESDAY (Before Mr F. F. Reid, S.M.) THEFT OF RING Elaine Sylvia Claire Darrell, alias Durrell, aged 17, a clerk, was placed on probation for 18 months after she had pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing a threestone diamond engagement ring valued at £45, from British Jewellers and Watchmakers, Christchurch, on October 8. Detective-Sergeant G. W. Alty said that accused and a younger girl had been associating with a well-known criminal, with whom they had had discussions about raising money. The girls had gone to British Jewellers and asked to be shown engagement rings. While examining some rings they had asked the attendant to show them others, and while the attendant’s back was turned the accused took a ring which she concealed. When the attendant noticed that a ring was missing the girls denied having taken it. Later the girls sold the ring to a jeweller in Colombo street for £lO. While making the transaction, they discussed an alleged broken engagement. Out of the transaction, the accused got £4, her girl friend got £l, and £5 was given to the criminal. ,

“This girl did not on her own volition set out on this criminal escapade," said Mr B. G. Dingwall, who appeared for accused. "She realises that it was a foolish thing and is determined it will not happen again.” He said It was certain that her association with the man concerned would cease for some time to come. Mr Dingwall suggested that Darrell’s 1 conduct might be due to her unsettled life. For eight years she had been in an orphanage, but the superintendent of the orphanage and her employers said that she had not given evidence of dishonesty. It -was with, some hesitation that he Imposed a period of probation, said the Magistrate, but the accused was a first offender and only two or three months over the age of 17 years. "You must clearly understand that this line of conduct will not get you anywhere except into further serious trouble. If you want to keep out of trouble you have got to pull yourself together.” In placing accused on probation for 18 months, the Magistrate said It would be subject to her making restitution of £6 10s out of her own earnings in such amounts as directed by the Probation Officer, that during the term of probation she would not associate with a certain man, or with any other person whom the Probation Officer directed she should not see.

INTOXICATED DRIVER Norman David Pullan. aged 29. a labourer, was sentenced to seven days' imprisonment with hard labour on a charge of being intoxicated while in charge of a car in Colombo street on October 21. He was also disqualified from holding a driver’s licence for 12 months. On a charge of having no driver’s licence he was convicted and discharged. Senior-Sergeant J. C. Fletcher said that Traffic Officer .E. McJarrow had arrested Pullan early on Sunday morning after seeing him driving along Colombo street in an erratic manner. He had found him the worse for alcohol, and this had been confirmed by the police doctor. The car was in bad mechanical state, and Pullan had no driver's licence. “I went to a party and had four or five drinks, but I thought I was fit to drive home,” said Pullan. IDLE Rnd DISORDERLY "Get out to work. If you don’t we will have to send you to Paparua to make you work,” said the Magistrate when he convicted Gordon Francis Bridges, aged 35. a labourer, on e charge of being an ffi fiiStt/SA Senior-Sergeant Fletaher said that Bridges had telephoned the police asking to be picked up. He had only 2s Wd in his possession and claimed to have been drinking and gambling. Correspondence in his possession showed he had been receiving money from his mother, but this had stopped , and he had become down and out. <

THEFT OF SCRAP Darcy Nelson Le Comte, aged 55. a tree feller (Mr D. W. RusselD was fined £5 and ordered to made restitution of £4 5s on a charge of stealing a quantity of scrap lead to the value of £5 12s, the property of the A.l Bottle Exchange, on or about August 8. REMANDED , John Charles Haworth, aged 46, a drain/P*’ Pk Haslam), was remanded until October 30 on a charge of being intoxicated in charge of a motor-truck on Marine parade, New Brighton, on Saturday. Bail was allowed at £25 in accused's own recognisance. "This fellow was up three days ago, bailed, and then got himself into trouble again, said Senior-Sergeant J. C. Fletcher, when Thomas Griffin, aged 66, a labourer, was called on two charges of pupUc P’aee-one on October 1# and the other on October 21. Griffin had been convicted three times p £ a ™‘J* ,y , % th , e la,t months on of . Senior-Sergeant Fletcher said. Griffin was now in hosFriday He WM remanded to appear on Hugh Francis Mora, aged 53, a salesJ nai l<5 Ir D ’ H - Godfrey), was remanded to, Friday on a charge of being intoxicated while in charge of a motor-car in Elizabeth street on Friday. Bail was allowed at £25 on his own recognisance. lan Sinclair McDonald, aged 27, a labourer. was rethanded till October 30 on a charge of being intoxicated while in charge of a motor-truck in Gloucseter street on October 22. Bail was allowed at £25 in accused’s own recognisance. TRAFFIC OFFENCES

In prosecution* brought by the traffic department of the Christchurch City Council for breaches of the traffic regulations penalties were imposed as follow: Cycling on footpath: John Frederick Abbett, Roderick John Rennie, Kenneth Thomson, each 20s. Failing to give way when, making a turn to the right: Joseph Black and Thomas Albert Gill, each £2. Parking over time limit: John Henry Bower, Richard Benjamin Browne, John Francis ■ Churstain, Audrey Margaret Dirago, Francis John Fay (fating to produce driver’s licence, 10s, and failing to produce warrant of fitness, 10s), Norman George Goffin, Gerald Lawrence Hughes, Margaret M. McDougall, Julian Manzoni, Fairfax Moresby, Phyllis Armour Neville, Leo Patrick O’Brien, Felix Ellis O’Sullivan, Derek John Parsonson (failing to produce driver’s licence, 10s; failing to produce warrant of fitness, 10s); Thomas Wilfred Perry, Percy Norman Quartermain, Ronald De Garis Robilliard, Sidney Ernest Scales, Winifred Skellerup, William Harold Smith, Eric Ramsay Steel, Walter James Steel, Francis Dudley Twiss, Leo Celestine Paxton Walsh, each 10s; Hilary Bernard Gormley, Louie Daisy Marker, Percy Stanley Nicholls, Gerald Thompson, Ernest Lawrence Wyles, each -20 s; Trevor Wesely King, Colin Lindsay, Cecil Jackson Pearce, Winston William Nicholls, each 30s; Olga Zelas, £3; John David Jones, convicted and ordered to pay costs. Exceeding 30 miles an hour: Graham Arthur Conner, 20s; James Leslie Bush. Lawrence Arthur Kepple, each £2; Melville Francis Sevicke Jones, Keith Rae Smith, Russell Stephen Wills, Michael Clyde Brian, each £3; Reginald Beaumont Miller, £4. Obstructing vehicular entrance: Jessie Lois Butler, 20s. Overlength load: Colin Alfred Buxton, 10s. Stopped bn offside of another stopped vehicle: Stanley Arthur Milne, 10s; Lawrence Andrew Chambers, 20s. No driver’s licence: Hilary Bernard Gormley (no wararnt of fitness, 10s), William Green McCammon (no warrant of fitness, 10s), Ernest Laurie Page (stopped in nb stopping area, 10s; no warrant of fitness, 10s), each 10s; Maurice Edward Check (no warrant of fitness, 10s); Bryce Duncan Williamson, each 20s; Rowland Thomas Pauling, convicted and ordered to pay costs only (no warrant of fitness, convicted and costs 'only, unlicensed motor-cycle, 20s). Failing to produce driver’s licence: Terence Grant Clough, 10s (falling to produce warrant of fitness, 10s). No warrant of fitness: Raymond Douglas Comfort, Allan Lawrence Godfrey Dunford (parking on prohibited area, 20s), Ralph Alexander Johnson, Russell Leonard Muir, each 10s. Stopped in no stopping area: John Leonard Connolly, 30s. Parking in prohibited area: Robert French Christie, John Frederick LittleWood, Ernest Frederick Moore, each 10s. Parked otherwise than parallel: Trevor George Davie, 10s. Parked within six feet of fire-plug: Charles Richard Hawkins, 10s. Overtaking on intersection: James Keith Nairn, 30s. . . . .. Parked within three feet of another

parked vehicle: Patrick O’Donoghue, 10a. Not drawn into kerb: Barnett William Younger, 10s. Cycling without light: Robert John Martin, Noel Kenneth Trigger (no red reflector, 10s), each 90s. ALTERED WARRANT Arthur Henry Martin was fined £5 on a charge of altering the expiry date of a warrant bf fitness. The Magistrate said that such a charge, involving the tampering with a document, was a serious one. • For the prosecution it was stated that Martin had admitted to a traffic officer that he had altered the date of expiry on a warrant of fitness from July 4, 1951, to August 24, 1951. It was stated that he had also telephoned the garage in Kaikoura, which issued the warrant, requesting them to alter the duplicate to the date he had Inserted on the warrant.