DRINKING AFTER HOURS

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28805, 28 January 1959, Page 12

DRINKING AFTER HOURS

12 Men Convicted At Akaroa

Twelve persons found without lawful excuse in the lounge bar of the Bruce Hotel, Akaroa, on the night of November 14 were convicted and fined £3 and costs each by Mr N. M. Izard, S.M., at a sitting of the Akaroa Magistrate’s Court

They were P. Kotlowski. M. E. Walker, K. J. Walker. K. R. Pool, L. A- Pool. J. Grant, A. Richards* P. A. Truman, A. J. Smith, F. Smith, M. Meaclem and V. Meaelem.

The licensee, Eric John Little, was convicted and fined £2 and costs on a charge of selling liquor after hours on November 14, and his manager, Edwin James Chappell, was convicted and fined £lO and costs for supplying liquor after ■ hours. Mr D. H. Godfrey appeared for Little and Chappell, who pleaded guilty. Sergeant T. A. Marson, who prosecuted, said that Constable J. E. Rudhall visited the hotel at 10.10 p.m. on November 14. He found the persons charged in the lounge bar. Little was away on holiday and Chappell was in charge as manager. Mr Godfrey said that Chappell had invited some friends to have a drink with him as he was well known in Akaroa, having formerly held the licence of another hotel in the town. But for one round of drinks which the guests had bought he would have had a perfect answer to the charge of supplying. Liquor Near Dance ' Arthur Watson, Ross Grenville Smith and lan David Ayers were each fined £3 and costs for having liquor in their possession or control in the vicinity of a dance at Little River on December 31. Constable W. A. Cromie said that the three men had been at the dance, and had withdrawn to what they thought was a discreet distance to “have a beer and cool off ” Undersize Crayfish R. W. Ward pleaded not guilty to a charge of having crayfish under the regulation minimum size of 10in in his possession at Pigeon Bay on September 7. Mr P- Feenstra. for the Marine Department, said that an inspector of fisheries had met a dinghy as it landed at Pigeon Bay. In a bag were 16 crayfish, 11 of which were undersize. . Ward said in evidence that the fish were for a friend, who had been told to throw back any that were under lOin. He criticised the measurement method used by the inspector, saying that the crayfish should be measured flat and not on rocky ground. Ward was convicted and fined £2 and costs, the Magistrate saying that the prosecution should act as a warning to amateur fishermen to observe regulations designed to preserve crayfish. Judgment Summons On a judgment summons Leslie Harding was ordered to pay Thomas, Thompson and Hay (Mr D HGodfrey) £4 14s forthwith, in default six days' imprisonment.