MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27124, 21 August 1953, Page 11

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

THURSDAY (Before Mr Rex C. Abernethy, S.M.) SIX MONTHS’ IMPRISONMENT Daniel John Gorman, aged 28, a musician, appeared for sentence on six chai-ges of false pretences to which he had previously pleaded guilty. He was convicted and sentenced to three months* imprisonment on each charge, five of the sentences to be concurrent and one to be cumulative. FORTY-FIFTH CONVICTION David George Sutherland, aged 35, of no fixed abode, was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for obtaining from Albert John Robert Johnson at Lyttelton on August 11 the sum of £22 by falsely representing a cheque for that amount to be valid. He pleaded guilty. Detective-Sergeant G. W. Alty, who prosecuted, said that Sutherland had spent August 11 drinking in Christchurch. He became short of money, bought a cheque book, and took a taxi to Lyttelton, where he told Johnson, a hotel licensee, that he was a solicitor. Johnson cashed a cheque for him, but became suspicious. Later that night Sutherland admitted to the police that he had cashed the cheque and that it was valueless. He had 44 previous convictions.

MAN FINED FOR ASSAULT Samuel Thomas Funston, aged 26, a labourer, pleaded guilty to charges that on August 19 he assaulted Rose Rita Archer; and that on August 14 and 19 he broke the terms of a prohibition order. He was convicted and fined £2 on the charge of assault, and was convicted and discharged on the other two charges. Sub-Inspector J. C. Fletcher, who prosecuted, said that Funston was a married man with one child, and hopelessly addicted to drink. "It seems that he went home on Wednesday evening in a bad mood and later slapped his sister-in-law in the face. He is a decent fellow when he is sober, but gets cantankerous when he has been drinking.” NOTIFICATION NOT IN TIME

Jan Jacob Vonk pleaded guilty to charges of changing his occupation on May 25 and June 14 and his abode on June 14 without, as a registered alien, notifying the police within 14 days. SubInspector J. C. Fletcher said the offences were technical. Vonk had notified the police, but not within the required period. He was ordered to pay costs only on each charge. BREACH OF PROHIBITION ORDER George Ritchie Adams, a farmer, of Southbridge, who did not appear, was convicted and fined 30s on each of two charges of breaches of his prohibition order. Constable E. F. Smith said that he had found Adams intoxicated in the main street at Southbridge on July 21 and July 28. REMANDED Walter Derek Dernie, aged 24, a labourer, was remanded to August 27 for a Probation Officer’s report on a charge that on or about July 13 he stole a bicycle valued at £25 2s 6d, the property of the Bell Cycle and Motor Company, Ltd. Bail was allowed in the sum of £l5, Dernie to report to the police daily.

LICENSING OFFENCES William Oswald Smith, licensee of the Junction Hotel, Halswell (Mr A. H. Cavell) pleaded guilty to a charge of selling liquor after hours on July 5. He was convicted and fined £7 10s.

Sub-Inspector J. C. Fletcher, who prosecuted, said that on Sunday, July 5, a police party under Sergeant R. M. Schwass paid a surprise visit to the hotel. Persons