Licensee Convicted Of Failing To Admit Police

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28013, 6 July 1956, Page 15

Licensee Convicted Of Failing To Admit Police

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

George Forbes Smith, licensee of the Gladstone Hotel, pleaded not guilty in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday to charges of opening the premises for the sale of liquor after hours, exposing liquor for sale after hours, obstructing the police, and failing to admit the police on demand. Mr Raymond Ferner, S.M., fined Smith £2O for opening the premises after hours and £5 for failing to admit the police on demand. The other charges were withdrawn during the hearing. Sub-Inspector J. C. Fletcher prosecuted and Mr B. McClelland appeared for Smith.

Sergeant Robert William Hope said he and police constables visited the Gladstone Hotel on Sunday, April 22, after a complaint had been received. He arrived at 12.3 p.m. and was admitted at 12.6 p.m. Of 41 men found in a bedroom one escaped. When the police car arrived five persons, who were waiting outside the door, quickly dispersed. The door, which was open as he was getting out of the car, .was then being closed when he called out: ‘Leave it open, we're coming in.” The doox’ was slammed in his face by the licensee.

At 12.6 p.m. after he had waited three minutes, the door was opened to him by Constable Brennan, who had entered the hotel through the back door, said Sergeant Hope. He had rung the bell, and kicked and hammered on the door. When he entered the hotel he went to the main private bar, where the licensee was standing with two customers, who proved to be lodgers. Behind the bar one man was serving beer to the lodgers and the other man removing glasses from the counter and wiping the bar-top. There was a little smoke and a number of cigarette butts and used matches. Sergeant Hope said he made a search of the ground floor, but found no-cne there and then, followed by the licensee and his wife, he went upstairs. All but two rooms were empty of persons, but he came across a door that was locked and when he asked the licensee about it he said: “It’s an empty store-room and seldom used.” He then asked Smith to open the door, but Smith said he did not have the key. When asked by witness to get the key he said: “You can take it from me there is nothing in that room.”

The police party then went to a room marked “private.” Witness was told by the licensee and his wife that he was not going to enter, because it was a private room and he had no right to enter. When told by the licensee that he would be reported to the inspector or superintendent, witness said: "I am still going to have a look.” He noticed a cloud of smoke and heard a m

urmur of voices. He forced the door md found 41 men inside. One escaped through a window to the fire escape ind got

To Mr McClelland witness said he had told Smith: “When you shut the door in my face, you are lookin? for trouble.” He had searched every room, but knew the people had nut left the place. Corroborative evidence was given bv Constable Ernest Allan Broughton and Constable M chael Joseph Brennan. At this stage Mr McClelland and Sub-Inspector Fletcher came to an agreement that if the police withdrew the charges of exposing liquor for sale

and obstructing the police. Smith would plead guilty to opening and faili ing to admit the police. Raymond Harold Albertson and Joseph Cunneen. barmen employed by , Smith, were each fined £3. FOUND ON PREMISES I For being found on the licensed

premises of the Gladstone Hotel after I hours on April 22 the following were | each fined £2:— ■ Leo Webster Turvey, Walter Victor I Dromgoole. Basil Frederick Partridge. Patrick Logan McKee, Andrew Watson. William Stanley Hill, William Dennis Roberts. Robert George Tomes, . John Webster Baxter. Alexander Marshall Menzies, Eric Stewart Cormack, j Francis Jerome Harrington, William James Enright, Thomas Norman Loughlan. Ronald Edward Wright. Harry Alver Hardaker. Eric Holder. Frederick Allan. Harry Clifford. James Patrick Cunneen. Cyril Beacroft. Norman George Taylor Cyril Gordon Thomson. Morris Lanyon, Arthur Edward Fass. John Batten. Leslie Ward Clinton, John Quinn. Harold Joseph Taylor. Raymond Foster. George Edward Byron. Eric George Ford. Claude Michael Fitzgerald. Verdin Clive 1 Thomson. Norman Marcoil Thomson. William Joseph Quill. Walter Sidney White. Roy Francis Pinn. Patrick John Sheridan. Edward Augustine Cooper. For being found on the premises of the White Swan Hotel after hours ' on April 15 James S+ephen Neylon. i Clifford Stanley Hodgkins. and George William Baldwin were each ! fined £3.

For being found on the licensed premises of the Grand Hotel after hours on March 9 Malcolm McLauchlan was fined £2.

I LIQUOR NEAR DANCE HALL i For being in possession of liquor near a dance hall at Tai Tapu on I June 2 Kenneth James Wilson and i George Sutton Blaukler were each i fined £3. FINED FOR ASSAULT Molly Waipouri. aged 25 (Mr B. i McClelland), pleaded not guilty to a ! charge of assaulting Bremner Cavanagh on June 9. Accused was convicted and fined £5. half the fine to be given to the complainant, Cavanagh. SEVEN CHARGES HEARD

Ernest James Johnston, aged 38. appeared on seven charges of theft or f a l S( 2 pretences. He was remanded to July 12 for sentence pending a Probation Officer’s report. accused was apprehended in Christchurch on March 3 and charged with ship desertion, false pretences, and theft. He is at present serving a term of six months' imprisonment,” said Detective-Sergeant G. C. Urquhart. “Before he went to prison, he admitted committing other offences from which these charges arise.” On January 6, accused called at J. and F. Fenton’s jeweller’s shop in Tokoroa and asked to see some diamond rings. He said he would go to the bank and draw some money, and took a £4O ring with him. “The jewellers have not seen him since,” said Detective-Sergeant Urquhart. On February 3. he visited the Farmers’ Trading Company in Auckland and was granted credit for £3O. Through an error in the shop's staff. Johnston obtained a further credit of £72 for goods the same day. He sold a radio he had purchased to a second-hand dealer in Wellington. After leaving Rotorua, he went to Wellington and arranged to sell a rifle by claiming his name was Robert Gordon Coster, from whom the rifle was stolen. He received £7 10s for it. said Detective-Sergeant Urquhart. His career continued, and he sold a radio, valued at £2l 10s, in Wellington on March 3 while it was still under hire purchase to a Tokoroa firm. He had previously got a radio from Drages, Ltd., in Christchurch, on February 7. and this, too. was sold while under hire purchase. Johnston was also charged with giving misleading information when applying for a driving licence at Lyttelton on February 17, and with making out a false document to procure a fire-arm at Wellington on February 13.

OBSCENE EXPOSURE On a charge of obscene exposure in Dyers Pass road, on June 30. Sydney Melville Chirnside, aged 22, a coach painter (Mr W. G. P. Cuningham) was remanded for sentence to July 12, pending a probation officer’s report. Bail was renewed at £5O in the accused’s own recognisance and a surety of £5O. pn the condition that he report daily to the police. FALSE PRETENCES

Patrick James O’Grady, aged 30. a labourer, was remanded for sentence to July 12, on a charge of obtaining £132 12s 6d from the Post Office Savings Bank account of J. W. H. Patrick by false pretences. “On June 26-27, a Mr Patrick reported his savings bank book stolen from a coat pocket in his bach,” said Detective-Sergeant G. C. Urquhart. “About 1.30 p.m. on June 27. the accused entered the savings bank building and presented a withdrawal receipt with a passbook. The teller asked for another signature and they were found dissimilar. Payment was refused. The accused returned to the bank at 2.5 -p.m. with a man who. it was claimed, could identify the accused as Patrick. The police were called when it was found Patrick’s account had been stopped.”

FURTHER TERM FOR PRISONER. A man at present serving a prison sentence of 12 months, Wilfred White, a labourer, was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment on each of three charges of theft, to be served concurrently with the present term. An order was made for the return of the goods. White was charged with stealing a radio valued at £ 10, the property of Radio Centre, Ltd., at Palmerston North, on May 4; stealing a radio valued at £l5, the property of Judds Radio at Tauranga on April 27: and incurring a debt of £4 for board and lodging with William John Stevens at Tauranga on April 28 by fraud. REVOLVER WITHOUT PERMIT Albert Clarence’ Gordon, aged 21, a farm worker, was charged that on May 30 he was found in possession of a revolver without a permit. He was convicted and fined £2. FINED £2 On a charge of casting offensive matter in Madras street on May 26. Beni Soli, aged 25, a labourer, was fined £2. INTERFERENCE WITH METER “This was a foolish capping day prank. This lad was responsible for the removal of a parking meter complete with its concrete base into the Canterbury University College quadrangle, where it caused some embarrassment to the professorial staff,” said Sub-Inspector J. S. Fletcher when Peter Leon Collins, a student, was charged with interfering with a parking meter on May 3. Collins was ordered to pay £2 10s 2d in damages. THEFT OF RIFLE Ivan Taylor, aged 17, was charged with stealing a .303 rifle valued at £3. the property of Andrew John McFarlane. on June 29. “A resident in Fendalton compiained to the police that explosions were heard during the day of June 29. The accused was interviewed and admitting firing a stolen rifle. “This youth is one who needs straightening up. He has also called himself ‘Rachmaninoff’ in his association with other boys,” said Sub-Inspector J. C. Fletcher. Taylor was remanded for sentence to July 12 pending a Probation Officer's report and medical examination. Bail was

renewed at £25 in the accused’s own recognisance and one surety of £25. the accused to report daily to the : police. FALSE PRETENCES John Joseph Brien, aged 53. a boiler maker, was remanded to July 12 on five charges of false pretences, pending a probation officer’s report. Bail was allowed at £lO in the accused’s own recognisance, and one surety of £lO. and he was ordered to report daily to the police. Brien was charged with obtaining £ll in money from Ernest Hulan Waters by a fa’se cheque on June 2: obtaining liquor valued at £5 10s 8d from Frederick Cross and Sons by claiming he was authorised to purchase on the account of another person on May 28; obtaining goods valued at £5 9s from Smith and Smith, Ltd., by claiming he was authorised to purchase on the account of another on May 29: obtaining goods valued at £3O from Smith and Smith. Ltd., by claiming he was authorised to purchase on Ihe account of another on May 30; and obtaining goods valued at £2 14s from the Oriental Fruit Supply by a false cheque on July 4. OBSCENE LANGUAGE Romulus Walter Lilley pleaded guilty to a charge of using obscene language in Woodgrove avenue on July 4. Sub-Inspector J. C. Fletcher said Lilley had been arrested at 4.15 p.m. on Wednesday in a drunken state. At his home he had been more violent than ever before. He had proved himself to be a perfect pest to New Brighton residents. The Magistrate said accused had had nine previous convictions, six of them for using obscene language. A fine of £7 was imposed. (Before Mr Leslie N. Ritchie, S.M.) SHIP DESERTER Gordon Thomas Browne, aged 26, a truck driver (Mr P. Penlington), was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within two years on a charge of deserting the Tamaroa at Timaru on March 4, 1950. “You are a first offender, and have proved yourself to be a good citizen,” said the Magistrate. (Before Mr Rex C. Abernethy, S.M.) SUSPENDED SENTENCE Charles Williams Edens, aged 36. who was represented by Mr G. S. Brockett, pleaded not guilty to charges that on April 13 he assaulted his wife, Mavis Lorraine Edens, and that he committed trespass by entering on the property occupied by his wife while a separation order was in force. He was convicted on each charge and ordered to come up for sentence within 12 months if called upon. CIVIL CASES. CLAIM FOR POSSESSION Winifred Hunt, who was represented by Mr C. M. Roper, claimed possession of premises at 813 Colombo street from Elizabeth Ivy Corboy, and . £2O arrears of rent. An order was made for possession within three weeks and the plaintiff was given judgment against Mrs Corboy for £2O and costs. JUDGMENT FOR PLAINTIFFS Charles Begg and Company, Ltd. (Mr G. R. Lascelles), was given judgment against Patrick Ivan Aitchison for £6, the .balance due on the purchase of a guitar, with costs. The State Advances Corporation of New Zealand (Mr A. E. Jensen), was j given judgment against Raymond Vipond Watts for £7 6s 5d claimed as due on instalments under a mortgage. The State Advances Corporation of New Zealand was given judgment against John Donald Stuart Baird for £ll 7s, claimed as due as the balance of instalments on the purchase of furniture. The State Advances Corporation of New Zealand was given judgment against lan Gough for £6 9s lid claimed as due as instalments under a mortgage. SUSPENDED ORDER The State Advances Corporation of New Zealand claimed possession of premises at 42 Hoani street from Albei t Frederick Croton and Gladys Croton. An order was made for possession forthwith, the warrant to be suspended as long as defendants pay 10s a week i off the arrears of rent in addition to [ the current rent. The plaintiff corpor-1 ation was also given judgment against i the defendants for £7 6s 2d.