MAGISTRATE’S COURT AT RANGIORA

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27794, 20 October 1955, Page 3

MAGISTRATE’S COURT AT RANGIORA

MEN FOUND IN GARDEN OF PRIVATE HOUSE

On a charge of being found without lawful excuse but in circumstances that did not disclose commission of or intention to commit any other offence in the enclosed garden of a house in Rangiora. John Raymond Whitham (carpenter) and Alan Leslie Webb (painter) were each remanded for sentence till November 9, to enable a report to be presented by the Probation Officer, at a sitting of the Magistrate’s Court, Rangiora, yesterday, before Mr Raymond Ferner, S.M. Sergeant G. Urquhart, prosecuting, said that on September 11, about 1 a.m., a girl in her teens was preparing to get into her bed when she saw a man peering in the window under the blind. She put out the light and called her father, who found Webb crouching in the garden. Another man darted away. The excuse given was that on returning from a dance the accused had seen a light in-a window and thought that a party was being held in the house. They crouched because they thought the lights of a car might disclose them. They were. each 21 years old. When asked by the Court what explanation they had for their action. Whitham said that they were not peeping Toms, nor had they any intention of being such. The Magistrate: What were you doing there, then? Whitham: We thought there was a party there. The Magistrate: Rubbish. Each of the accused was granted bail self in £5O and one surety of £5O and ordered to report daily to the police.

Licensing Breaches A fine of £l5 was imposed on Robert Richard Rothwell, licensee of the Cust Hotel (Mr B. Clelland), for opening his premises for the sale of liquor after hours. Two further charges of selling and exposing liquor after hours were dismissed.

Constable W. Theyers said that about 9.5 p.m. on September 16, he saw lights in the bar of the hotel from his car. He stopped and saw people streaming out of the back door and could hear them tripping over bottles. He knocked at the front door and -es there was no reply, went to the back door. Ernest Frame, Keith Gallagher and Vincent Jeffcott were walking out of the bar, on the counter of which there were seven empty beer glasses. The bar was -also full of smoke. Rothwell then entered the bar and in answer to a question said that the men were his guests. Rothwell gave evidence in which he denied the charges To Sergeant Urquhart, Rothwell said it was true that he had told Copstable Theyers that "things were tough” and that he had to do something to keep going. He admitted being warned by the constable about after hours trading. The reason that the front door had. been unlocked was. he said, so that fresh stocks could be delivered after 6 n.m., when the vans arrived. Fining Rothwell, the Magistrate said that the scale of fines was now heavier than previously for such cases. Ernest Frame and Vincent Jeffcott Were each fined £2 for being found on licensed premises after hours. Similar charges against John Doak and Keith Gallagher were dismissed. Traffic Cases For breaches of the traffic regulations, fines were imposed as follows: Operating noisy motor-vehicle: lan Wiluam McKinley, £3. Failing to give way to right: Guy Daigneault, £5. Exceeding 30 m.p.h. in restricted area: Hugh Macintosh MacDonald, £3. No heavy traffic licence on vehicle: Richard Russell Price, £2; Owen Clark, £1 (no certificate of fitness, £1). No driver’s licence: Lester John Paget, £l. No warrant of fitness: Colin William McQuillan, £l. Cycling at night without lights: Alfred Crawford, £1; Henry Osborne, Children’s Court A youth of 16 was fined £5 for using a motor-cycle with an inefficient silencer. Two other youths were fined £3 for similar offences.