MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27226, 18 December 1953, Page 15

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

THURSDAY (Before Mr Raymond Ferner, S.M3 REMANDED Geoffrey William Fisher, aged 33, a labourer (Mr B. McClelland), was remanded to December 24 on a charge of breaking and entering the counting-house of Arthur Spencer King, at Maheno, and committing theft on December 15. Detective-Sergeant G. C. Urquhart opposed an application for bail, which was not granted. Cecil Augustus Lloyd, aged 42, a driver, appeared for sentence on charges of asasulting Florence Hannah Lloyd and of carrying a firearm, an automatic pistol, which was not being carried for any lawful, proper or sufficient purpose. Lloyd was further remanded to December 24, bail being renewed. Frankie Mary Brenda Ljekither, aged 19, a cook, who pleaded guilty to charges of stealing pyjamas, valued at £2 10s, the property of Ruby May Payn, on December 5, and of assaulting Pauline Adeline Kittelty, was remanded to Monday for sentence. IMPRISONMENT FOR THEFT For stealing £l4 15s 6d, the property of Constance Mary Undrill, Santella Claudia Quinn, a domestic, aged 44 (Mr W. F. Brown) was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment with hard labour. In imposing sentence the Magistrate said the offence was sly and cunning. For previous offences accused had received leniency and her general conduct had not been favourably reported on. This was her sixth offence. Patrick Joseph Ward, aged 29, a carpenter (Mr H. S. Thomas), who appeared for sentence on a charge of stealing two lengths of rope valued at £1 17s 6d, the property of John Charles Haworth, was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment. The Magistrate said accused was an old offender with a shocking list. FALSE PRETENCES Thomas Hugh Reid, aged 29, a labourer, and Raymond William Hale, aged 24, a labourer, were jointly charged with obtaining £23 9s 6d from Norma Dallesse, £3O 7s 6d from Marinette Louise Hall, and £l4 from Vera Evans, by issuing valueless cheques, with stealing a bicycle valued at £4, with stealing an electric razor valued at £9 10s, and with converting to their own use a motor-car valued at £2OO, the property of Wilfred Colwin. Each accused was remanded to appear for sentence on December 24. ADMITTED TO PROBATION Alexander Sinclair, aged 39, a baker (Mr W. F. Brown), was admitted to probation for a period of 12 months on a charge of stealing a four-light door valued at £4 10s, the property of Colin James Grimwood. DISORDERLY BEHAVIOUR For using obscene language and behaving in a disorderly manner on Riccarton road on November 5, Thomas Edward Simmons was fined £4 on each charge. Sub-Inspector J. C. Fletcher said Simmons and another man, Percasky, had been riding along Riccarton road in a truck, which had been involved in a collision with a car driven by a man, Kane, who had been killed in the accident. Simmons and his friend, Percasky. said Sub-Inspector Fletcher, had consumed a fair amount of liquor, although neither man had had anything to do with the cause of the accident, the truck being driven by another man who was sober. The charges against Simmons arose from incidents after the accident, when he and Percasky engaged in a heated argument, and, while a number of persons were adopting a hostile attitude, Simmons had become abusive to the police, who were making inquiries. "It was the most extraordinary behaviour,” said the sub-inspector, “although neither man had had anything to do with the accident.” LIQUOR NEAR DANCE HALL For being in possession of intoxicating liquor near a dance hall, Charles William Claxton was fined £3. LICENSING BREACHES For being found on the licensed premises of the Valley Inn Hotel after hours, Alexander Boyd. Keith McGregor, Rewi Llewellyn Williams, William Bawn, Ronald Barry Taylor, Trevor McGregor, David Charles Maddams, Leslie Howard, Campbell Lanyard Parker, Leonard Percy Rollihson, Noel John Faloon, John Thomas Smith, Victor George Leo McLachlan, Kenneth lan Maurice House, and Thomas Tilson Bambury were each fined 20s. Leslie Victor Crothers, licensee of the Racecourse Hotel, was fined £l2 for selling liquor after hours. For being found on the licensed premises of the Racecourse Hotel after hours, Gordon Hampton, Joseph Fitzgibbon, Rex Hill, Raymond Powley, Charles Woods, Clive Goodwin, Joan Roberts, Bernard Laurence McKegney, Jack Quill, and Herbert William Hibberd were each fined 20s. FALSE STATEMENT TO POLICE Stanley Merle Higgins (Mr D. W. Russell) was fined £8 for making a false statement to a police constable in the execution of his duty, £4 for driving without due care and attention, and 10s for having no warrant of fitness. CIVIL CASES (Before Mr Rex C. Abernethy, S.M.) < CLAIM FOR POSSESSION John Norman Owen (Mr D. W. Russell) sought possession of a house at 87 Olliviers road from C. Ward (Mr C. Thornton). The case was adjourned until this morning. Owen, in evidence, said he bought the house in 1950. The tenant, Ward, paid 25s a week. For a period this year Ward was £3O behind in his rent. During the last three weeks, however, Ward had paid a fair amount of the outstanding rent. He said the property had depreciated to such an extent over the last three years that it would not be worth going in to. The fence had been damaged, grass was growing wild, and debris was piled high in the yard. No attempt had been made to cultivate the garden. To Mr Russell, the witness said an order for possession was made against the defendant in 1949. He had spent £l7O on the house, witness said. The defendant said that he had been tenant of the house for 20 years. He had a family of six children and a wife. During that time he had had three landlords. His health had not been good. Between January, 1950, and September, 1952, he had been off work. “I could not do anything in the garden because of poor health. I first knew I was behind with my rent last November. When I was told I immediately paid £lO.. I can pay another £lO now, and that will bring my paid rent up to December 19.” To Mr Russell, the witness said he had not taken part-time employment for some years. His son pulled the fence down in the 1940’5. He last tried to' get a house two years ago.

George Birch, a sanitary inspector, said that in his 13 years’ experience of working for the Christchurch City Council the house at. Olliviers road had been in a bad state. He thought the present tenant was not responsible for its present condition. It was wear and lack of maintenance. The garden was in a deplorable

JUDGMENT SUMMONSES On judgment summonses, Thor Wilson was ordered to pay Bernard McKee £ll 14s forthwith, in default 12 days’ imprisonment; C. M. Davies was ordered to pay A. L. Haslam £4 15s forthwith, in default five days’ imprisonment; P. E. Scott was ordered to pay William Wells £6B Is forthwith, in default 69 days’ imprisonment, the warrant to be suspended as long as £lO a month is paid; A. Goulding was ordered to pay C. W. Haig, R. R. Hepburn, and W. Haig £4B Us forthwith, in default 49 days’ imprisonment, the warrant to be suspended as long as £1 a week is paid; Thomas Edward Roach was ordered to pay Royden William Garrett £6 16s lid forthwith, in default seven days’ imprisonment; J. McGill was ordered to pay S. J. Harkess £3l 0s lOd forthwith, in default 32 days’ imprisonment, the warrant to be suspended as long as £1 a week is paid; D. R. Williams was ordered to pay Milton Cycle's, Ltd., £l6 3s 6d forthwith, in default 17 days’ imprisonment; E. G. Geddes was ordered to pay Milton Cycles, Ltd., £l5 Us 3d forthwith, in default 16 days’ imprisonment, the warrant to be suspended as long as 5s a week is paid; J. C. Howard was ordered to pay T. E. Elliot and Company, Ltd., £lO7 Is forthwith, in default 90 days' imprisonment.