“Good Advice” Given In Report On Policemen

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30127, 10 May 1963, Page 14

“Good Advice” Given In Report On Policemen

(New Zealand Press Association)

AUCKLAND, May 9

A 63-year-old pensioner, said to be a fortune-teller, put ‘an awfiil lot of good, common-sense advice” into a psychological report he made on a police constable, said Mr F. McCarthy, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court today Reginald Howan (Mr I Barker) pleaded not guilty to undertaking to tell Constable M Charles’s fortune for reward. The case was adjourned for a fortnight to allow the police prosecutor, Sergeant G R Gillespie, time to submit written legal argument. Constable Charles said he went to Howan's rooms and

asked for a psychological report “based on general conditions and birth date,” as he wanted to know what was going to happen to him He paid £3 for a threepage report which was later posted to him

Constable D Bretherton said he told Howan the police had reason to believe he was fortune-telling Howan denied this saying the money charged went to the Yoga Institute and he received no money for the service The institute owned the house, and as he was president, he was allowed to live there rent free

Mr Barker, submitting there was no case for Howan to answer, said the report was merely a statement of good common sense which, at worst, was a statement of possibilities It lacked the clear forecasting of definite future events which was essential for fortune-telling. The Magistrate said there was “an awful lot of good common sense advice" in the report

“The people that come into this Court could well do with some of it," he added.