BOOKMAKING CHARGES

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27669, 27 May 1955, Page 14

BOOKMAKING CHARGES

FOUR MEN APPEAR EVIDENCE by special DUTIES CONSTABLE (New Zealand Press Association) DUNEDIN, May 26. A special duties constable from Wellington who had been employed'. for a term at the Hillside railway workshops and had frequented several hotels in Dunedin, gave evidence against four men charged in the Magistrate’s Court today with bookmaking. He was Constable John Harris, who was called for the prosecution against Bert George, aged 47, a barman (Mr A. J. H. Jeavons), James Cullen, aged 63, a labourer at Hillside (Mr R. J. Gilbert), Christopher Ronald Macdonald, a labourer (Mr Gilbert), and William John Jardine, aged 42. a company director. All four pleaded not guilty. Mr J. D. Willis. S.M., reserved his decisions in the cases involving George and .Jardine. The other two cases were adjourned until Monday to enable the defence to call evidence.

Jardine claimed he had a system with other “contacts” throughout New Zealand, whom he was not prepared to name. He said that he was able to place a bet on a -totalisator at any meeting in the country up until a few minutes before the race started. Ernest Wood and Donald Robert Sapsford said they visited Jardine's house on May 14. He asked them to select three horses at any meeting in the country on a race shortly to start. At 11J0 a.m. he was told their three selections for a race at Te Rapa scheduled to start at 11.35 a.m. Later at 11-27 a.m.. they laid bets for a race to start at 11.45 a.m. at a Southland meeting.

Wood said that Jardine had given him the totalisator tickets some days . after. Sapsford agreed with the Magistrate that he did not know they were the actual tickets for the bets that had been nominated. Constable Harris said that he was introduced to Jardine in the bar of the Fitzroy Hotel. Jardine asked him where he. worked, and. was told"that he was employed at* - Hillside. He placed several bets over a period. On April 23 he placed 10s each way on Fictavia Boy, racing at Te Aroha. The bet was laid at 10.45 a.m. and the race was due to start not before 11 ajn.

‘ '-’.Detective-Sergeant J. A. Marshall said he arrested Jardine on May %, and the’accused then had £lO5 5s fid in his. possession. At his home a copy of the TA3. rules was found. Jardine said he was not able to go to races because of a previous conviction? but his wife had a telephone account at the T.A.8.. through which £2OO to £3OO passed every three months. He detailed his system, but was not prepared to name his “contacts” in other centres.