Civilian Fined £5 For Taking Liquor Into A Military Camp

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27576, 5 February 1955, Page 8

Civilian Fined £5 For Taking Liquor Into A Military Camp

Pleading guilty to a charge of being found unlawfully in possession of intoxicating liquor at Godley Head military camp on February 3, Kevin Matthew Gray, aged 20, a timber worker (Mr R. A. Young), was fined £5 by Mr L. N. Ritchie, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Charges of conveying intoxicating liquor into Godley Head military camp on February 3 against two taxi drivers, Bernard John Finch, aged 24, and Andrew John Poharama, aged 29, both of whom pleaded not guilty, were dismissed. The three men were apprehended by the military authorities at Godley Head and were later handed over to the police in Christchurch. Sub-Inspector J. C. Fletcher, prosecuting for the police, told the Court that they were military charges. Warrant Officer L. E. Autridge, of Godley Head military camp, said that he noticed a taxi on the parade ground at about 8.35 p.m. and saw a civilian getting out carrying two bags. This man, Gray, was carrying nine bottles of beer, which he told witness was for a party—not at Godley Head. Finch, who was the taxi-driver, said Gray was a “friend and a fare.” It was the last night of the camp and no-one had been given leave, witness said. The two men were apprehended and the police sent for to take them into custody. About 10 p.m., Warrant Officer Autridge said, he saw another taxi about 300 to 400 yards from the parade ground. There were five soldiers in the taxi, all absent without leave, returning to camp. They had nine bottles of beer with them in the taxi, which was driven by Poharama. Witness said he asked the taxi driver to drive him and the soldiers to camp headquarters. Poharama was apprehended by the military authorities and later taken away by the police. Finch, a rubber worker and casual taxi driver, said when he took Gray into his taxi he did not know he was carrying beer. It was not until he was in the military area that he became strongly suspicious that the packages Gray was putting into the bags contained beer. He had never seen Gray before, but knew he was a friend of his (Finch’s) brother. Gray indicated to him to wait with the taxi. Defendant was not aware that it was against army regulations to take liquor into a military camp, he said. Poharama, a taxi proprietor, said he had no idea the five soldiers he took back to Godley Head camp were carrying beer with them. He was stopped by two soldiers when about 100 yards inside the cattle stop near the entrance to the military area. “One of the soldiers asked: “Would you drive these chaps up to headquarters? I have nothing on you.” I did not know the soldiers had beer until the officer stopped the car and flashed his torch into the car,” he said. Mr Young, who appeared for the three defendants, said that Gray had recently been in camp at Godley Head and wanted to repay a good turn by taking some beer to friends. “Soldiers do like what has been referred to here_as_‘this wretched stuff,’

and in that dry, parched area beer would seem like an oasis there, said Mr Young. “It is pretty tough on any taxi driver if he is expected to know what is inside a package carried by passengers,” said the Magistrate. If the taxi-drivers did not know that their passengers were carrying beer howon earth could they be charged with an offence about which they knew nothing, he asked. There was no evidence that either Poharama or Finch knew there was liquor in their taxis, he said, dismissing the information against them. To Gray he said: “You did a stupid thing and the offence is a serious one for which there is a penalty of £lOO fine or 12 months’ imprisonment. 1 can understand your action, but cannot altogether overlook it,” he said.