Young Men Stole Beer To Keep Drunken Party Going

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29192, 30 April 1960, Page 7

Young Men Stole Beer To Keep Drunken Party Going

(JVew Zealand Press Association)

NELSON, April 29. The sight of 30 to 40 young people in varying stages of drunkenness confronted a police party who raided a party held in a Tahuna flat on Easter Sunday night. Police inquiries made that night resulted in seven of the young men being arrested and brought before Mr G. A. Nicholls S.M. in the Magistrate’s Court at Nelson today. For gome time the Nelson police had been “keeping an eye” on a gang of girls and youths, whose ages range from 15 to 25 years and because of this they were aware that the party, lasting more than 48 hours, was in progress, Senior Sergeant A. G. Beal told the Court. Before the Court were seven young men each of whom pleaded guilty to the theft, on April 18, of a 36-gallon keg of beer valued at £4B, the property of Transport (Nelson) Ltd. Three of them also admitted having stolen another 36 gallon keg of beer from the same firm two days earlier.

Senior Sergeant Beal said the party was given by Phil Arthur Thomas Ottley. A large number of uninvited guests arrived, and by 11 pm. the considerable quantity of liquor had run out. A collection was taken up but from the 40 or so people present only 10s was contributed. ' To replenish the supply three of the party went to Nelson. They found some kegs of beer at the transport firm’s premises and took a 36-gallon barret That liquor lasted until the following night and that barrel was later dumped into the Buller river.

When the first keg was emptied it was agreed to get another from the same source.

Ottley, aged 24, painter; Richard Terry Power, aged 18, millhand; Peter Jones Willcocks, aged' 20, butcher; William Eric John Galey, aged 19, millhand; Robert Richard McKinlay, aged 18, millhand; Neil Paul Eden, aged 18, factory hand, and John Gordon Butterworth, aged 18. millhand, were each fined £lO, costs £1 10s. for the theft of the beer.

In reply to an application for suppression of the names, the magistrate said: “If you lead Such disreputable lives, you must face up to the publicity which follows.”

McKinlay, Ottley and Willcocks were ordered to make restitution of £l4 10s each, and Power, Galey, Eden and Butterworth were ordered to pay £6 10s each.