BOOKMAKING CHARGES

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27193, 10 November 1953, Page 12

BOOKMAKING CHARGES

WELLINGTON TRIAL BEGINS SPECIAL-DUTY CONSTABLE GIVES EVIDENCE

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, November 9. A Wellington police constable who was sent to Masterton to detectoffences against the Gaming Act gave evidence in the Supreme Court today, when Alan Arthur Lambert, aged 44, a shearing contractor, faced two charges of bookmaking. Mr Justice Gresson was on the Bench. Mr W. R. Birks prosecuted, and Mr W. J. Stacey, with him Mr J. Bruce Weir, appeared for the accused. • Constable Raymond Robert St. Glair said he had been sent to Masterton on special duties connected with breaches of-the Gaming Act. He was in plain domes. He gave evidence 'of seeing men approach the accused and seeing him record entries in a “Turf Digest.” He said he also placed bets with the accused and received a dividend. To Mr Stacey he said he had been in the Police Force for five months, and was aged 21. He said he went to Masterton exclusively lor the detecting of gaming offences and had received no training before doing so. The witness said he been given the names of a lew persons suspected of offences. He said he had not read the Gaming Act before going to Masterton, but knew the obvious offence, and knew what was required in law to be a bookmaker. The witness said that at the Central Police Station, Wellington, he was given £25 by a sergeant and took £l7 of his own money. He was instructed to use his discretion and not bet too much.

Mr Stacey: You have given evidence in Masterton against bookmakers? The witness: Yes. Your‘evidence has not been believed?—l don’t know. Cki two occasions they were dismissed by the Magistrate?—Yes. And* they are the only two occasions on which you have given evidence?— Yes.

Betting with TAA The witness said he did not know that a lot of the accused’s employees were in the bar. He knew the accused’s betting with the TJVB. was about £lOOO a year. He said he would expect. a bookmaker to have an ac ; count of £lOOO a year with the TA.B. He did nqt know that the accused placed employees’ bets with the T.AJ3. Asked whether he could distinguish employees placing T-A.B. bets, the witness said he could, because at the tuffe the accused took bets the,T.A.B. had closed for that race. He agreed that in some cases the accused’s actions were consistent with employees asking him to put their bets on the T.A.B. Mr Stacey: Did you realise it was most unfair for you to go into the bar of a hotel and wilfully encourage any man to make a bet with you? The witness: No.

Or to endeavour to trap a man into betting with you?—No.

Were you told to go into the hotels to do this job?—Yes. You were told to go in to trap a man if you could?—No. You don’t realise now that there is a sneakiness about it?—No. Ray Lindrum. manager of the Masterton T.A.8., said he knew the accused, who was a T.A.B.- client and a credit better. In July he was approached by Detective-Sergeant F. A. Gordon, of Masterton, but he did not show the detective any records of the accused’s betting. Detective-Sergeant Gordon said that

St Clair to him always on the night of race meetings. As a result of St. Clair’s investigations and

his own. he obtained a warrant to arrest the accused and a search warrant. On August Ihe arrested the accused art the Pioneer bar. The accused had in his possession three “Turf Digests” and three notebooks. The accused told him they were bets he took that flay at the TJLB. “He told me he had taken them on his telephone account,” the witness said. “There were 43 doubles.”

In a wastepaper basket at the accused’s home was found a large quantity of tom-up paper, which proved to be records of bets on races. The only papers torn up related to bets on horse races. The hearing will continue tomorrow.