WILFUL DAMAGE TO LAUNCH

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27782, 6 October 1955, Page 15

WILFUL DAMAGE TO LAUNCH

DEFENDANT ORDERED TO PAY £3 3/-

A man whose name was ordered to be suppressed was charged before Mr Rex C. Abernethy, S.M., in the Lyttelton Magistrate’s Court yesterday with wilfully damaging a passenger launch, the property of Frederick Ira Sutton, by breaking a pane of glass in the wheelhouse. He pleaded not guilty. Evidence was given that the defendant was fishing at the end cl Gladstone pier on August 7 when the launch Ngatiki passed close in, and the defendant’s line became entangled in the propeller. The defendant became annoyed, and threw two stones at the launch. One stone hit the deck, flew up, and broke the window. The defendant, the police said, was a decent citizen, and had not been in trouble previously. The defendant gave evidence that he considered that the launch had passed unnecessarily close to the pier. The launchman had pulled a face at him and had shouted out something which defendant did not hear. The defendant said he became very annoyed, but had no intention of hitting the launch. He expressed regret for the occurrence.

In ordering the defendant to pay the amount of the damage, £3 3s, the Magistrate said that launches entering or leaving harbour had to keep on their course to avoid accidents. It was an unfortunate occurrence, and he would grant the application of the defendant to have his name suppressed.