WOMAN FINED £60 ON CHARGE OF BOOKMAKING

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27907, 2 March 1956, Page 3

WOMAN FINED £60 ON CHARGE OF BOOKMAKING

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Betty Perrett, aged 49. a domestic, was fined £6O by Mr L. N. Ritchie, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court yesterday when she pleaded guilty to a charge of carrying on the business of a bookmaker on February 25. Detective-Sergeant G. C. Urquhart said detectives visited a house in Leinster road at 3.40 p.m. on Saturday and found the defendant seated before a telephone listening to the radio, with a pile of betting slios in front of her When approached by the detectives she said: “It's a fair catch. I suppose it had to come." She had explained that she was acting for a principal from whom she was receiving £5 a week. During the 15 minutes the police were on the premises, £47 10s had been taken in bets and she had explained that the average was about £7OO a day, said Detective-Sergeant Urquhart. However, investigations showed that in one day £1937 10s had been wagered, which showed that the business was a fairly substantial one. Defendant claimed that she had had a hand in the business for only a short period. Perrett, who was not represented by counsel, handed in a statement to the Magistrate. After reading the statement, the Magistrate said that under the special conditions shown the penalty imposed was not so heavy as it otherwise would have been.

FINED FOR ASSAULT Llewellyn Herbert Beynon, who was represented by Mr A. D. Holland, pleaded not guilty when charged with assaulting Gladys Enid Allen Beynon on January 19. After hearing evidence, the Magistrate said he thought that both complainant and defendant were upset and in a nervy state of mind. Evidence showed that Beynon had thrown a cup of tea over his wife, had hit her with a pot of jam. and had punched her in the back of the head. It was not nearly such a bad case of assault, however, as was often heard. Beynon was convicted and fined £2. ILLEGALLY ON LICENSED PREMISES Kenneth Gordon Millar, a youth under 21, was lined £2 for being found on the licensed premises of the Lancaster Park Hotel on December 27. Sub-Inspector C. H. Reardon said there was no suggestion that Millar, whose occupation was given as that of maltster, had consumed any liquor, but he knew that he had no right to be on licensed premises. The Magistrate: Apparently he is quite entitled to be on wholesale premises, but hot on retail premises. PROBATION FOR RECEIVING Thomas Harvey Grenfell, aged 31, a driver (Mr J. G. Rutherford), appeared for sentence on a charge of receiving a radio valued at £l9 10s, well knowing it to have been dishonestly obtained. He was admitted to probation for two years. Mr Rutherford said that Grenfell was unable to work because of an injury to his back. He had to attend at the hospital three times a week for treatment and it was thought that an operation would be necessary. If he was sent to prison he would be a nuisance to the authorities. Further, he would lose his home because his wife would be unable to keep up the mortgage payments. The Magistrate said that Grenfell had already nine convictions for theft and two for false pretences. He was a

practised and consummate liar and richly deserved to go to prison. It was only the state of his health and family circumstances which influenced the Court in giving him what was an absolutely last chance. MAN ADMITS BIGAMY Edward De Alton Falwasser, aged 30, a truck driver, pleaded guilty to a charge of committing bigamy on December 3. He was remanded to March 8 for sentence pending a report by the Probation Officer. Detective-Sergeant G. C. Urquhart said that the accused was at present serving a sentence of three years’ imprisonment for theft. He was married at Palmerston North in 1950 and there were four children. Between 1950 and 1954 he spent three periods in prison. Early in 1955 he became friendly with a girl of 19, who believed he was a single man. On November 8 he went in a stolen motor-car to the girl’s home. He obtained her father’s consent to their marriage and he went through the form of marriage with the girl. On December 14 he was arrested and charged with the theft of the car. The bigamous marriage then came to light. Falwasser had a list of convictions. CASE ADJOURNED A young man, whose name was ordered not to be published and who was represented by Mr B. J. Drake, pleaded not guilty to a charge of stealing scales valued at £lO. The value of the scales was reduced to 35s after the evidence had been completed. The Magistrate said that the evidence disclosed the commission of theft but he would adjourn the case as part heard to September 6. Provided the man’s conduct was blameless in the meantime he might see fit to dismiss the information under the provisions of the Criminal Justice Act. REMANDED Anthony Edinburgh, aged 26, a carpenter (Mr B. J. Drake), was remanded to March 8 on a charge of being absent without leave from the British ship East Hill, on December 12. 1951. Bail was allowed in the sum of £lOO and one surety of £lOO. A youth, whose name was ordered not to be published, was remanded to March 5 when charged with theft. Bail was allowed in the sum of £lOO and one surety of £lOO. CIVIL CASES (Before Mr Rex C. Abernethy, S.M.) JUDGMENT SUMMONSES

On judgment summonses M. J. Watts was ordered to pay J. A. Benny £3 10s forthwith in default four days’ imprisonment; G. L. Spriggs was ordered to pay the Malvern Electric Power Board £4 13s 3d forthwith, in default five days’ imprisonment; S. Cross was ordered to pay Drummond and Hurley £l6 7s 9d forthwith, in default 17 days’ imprisonment, the warrant to be suspended as long as defendant pays £1 a week; R. Postlewaite was ordered to pay Stoneyhurst Sawmilling Co., Ltd., £3 9s forthwith, in default four days’ imprisonment; Mary Elizabeth Watkins was ordered to pay R. W. Edgley £ll 15s forthwith, in default 12 days’ imprisonment; A. G. Lyon was ordered to pay Horace William Alston £3 13s forthwith, in default four days’ imprisonment; F. Gillam was ordered to pay Dennis Charles Healey and Archibald Alexander Torrance £4B 8s forthwith, in default 49 days’ imprisonment, the warrant to be suspended as long as defendant pays 10s a week.