Magistrate’s Court Charge Of Assaulting Dance-hall Manager

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30745, 8 May 1965, Page 17

Magistrate’s Court Charge Of Assaulting Dance-hall Manager

A charge of assaulting the manager of a dance hall, against George John Bryenton, aged 23, a drainlayer (Mr R. L. Kerr), was adjourned part-heard in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Mr K. H. J. Headifen, S.M.. was on the bench. Bryenton pleaded not guilty. The adjournment was granted to permit Mr Kerr to call more witnesses.

The charge was adjourned to May 20, together with a charge of endangering the safety of another person, and a charge of wilful damage. The two latter charges were not dealt with. Graham Percival Hammett, aged 40, manager of the Surf City dance hall at New Brighton, said that shortly before midnight on February 13 he heard a scuffle in the foyer of the hall, and separated Bryenton and another man. The man had a cut face already, and the accused was about to hit him.

Bryenton refused to leave the dance, and hit the witness three times on the jaw and kicked him on the inside of the thigh. He was wearing riding boots or jackboots. The witness said he identified the accused from a photograph.

It was the first time there had been such an incident at the dance.

An application for the suppression of the name of the dance hall was refused. Colin Arthur O’Brien, aged 20, an assistant at the dance, identified Bryenton as a person at the dance who had hit him. Constable W. P. E. Bithell said that Bryenton had said he was not at the dance that night, but was in gaol. The constable said that Bryenton was not in gaol that night. DISQUALIFIED DRIVER Roger Bruce Wilson, aged 17, a timber worker, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving while disqualified on April 23, and was convicted and remanded on bail to May 14 for sentence.

Evidence was given that Wilson had been disqualified on March 30 from driving for a month. DISMISSED

A charge of careless use of a vehicle, against Robin Graham England, aged 19, an executive trainee (Mr L. G. Holder), was dismissed. He pleaded not guilty. REMANDED James Lanyon Williamson, aged 30, a farm worker, was remanded to May 10 on a charge of false pretences to the value of £lOO on March 4. TRAFFIC CHARGES On traffic charges brought by the police, offenders were dealt with as follows: Failed to stop in half clear distance: Richard McKenna, £B. Failed to give way: Norman Keith Williams, £8; Dereck Atkinson Cutler, £8; John Fortescue Fardell, £5; Wendy MacFarlane, £5; Trevor Edgar Stephens, £8; Pauline Meriem EasterbrookHil'l, £5; Kevin Alexander James O’Neill, £5; John Roderick Kay, £8; Rita May Gilbert, £5- Alan Richard Kerr, £8: Michael Arthur Smith, £8; John Fraser Tucker. £5; Bruce William Story

Morrison-Story. £8; Kenneth Mansfield O'Connell, £8; Henry Robson, £5: Adrianus Gerardus Vanroy, £8: Max Sydney Crawford, £5.

Careless use: Robert George Mason, £5; Raymond Leonard Brown, £4: Ronald Reginald Mark Chick, £5, and licence cancelled for three months (no driver’s licence, £5); Robert Michael Farrant, £4: Herbert James Hagen. £5: Kerry Clifford Gibbons, £4: Robert James Hegan, £5: Roger Whakaiti. £8: Erling Desmond Cague £B. No driver's licence: Frederick Charles McGifford, £8; Bernard Crew Peach. £l.

Failed to stop after accident: Colin Arthur Merewether. £lO, and disqualified for 12 months (careless use, £8; failing to ascertain if anyone injured, £5). (Before Mr H. J. Evans, S.M.) THREE MONTHS’ GAOL

Three months’ imprisonment was imposed on lan Keith Morgan, aged 42. unemployed, when he appeared for sentence on two charges of theft and a charge of assaulting a constable. On the theft charge he was sentenced to tw-o months’ imprisonment, and a term of one month's gaol was imposed on the assault charge. The terms were cumulative.

FINED £3O Alan Douglas Allfrey. aged 27, a tunneller (Mr R. G. Blunt), was convicted and fined £3O on a charge of driving under the influence of drink or drugs in Deans avenue on April 8. He was disqualified from holding a licence for three years. On a charge of careless driving Allfrey was convicted and discharged, and on a charge of having no warrant of fitness he was convicted and fined 10s. CONVICTED OF THEFT Hirdesh Prakash Sharma, aged 24. a law clerk (Mr P. T. Mahon) was convicted and fined £l5 on a charge of theft of a bicycle valued at £lO, the property of Neil Robert Graham, on April 8 last year. An order was made for the return of the cycle. Mr Mahon said that an appeal would be lodged. An alternative charge of receiving goods valued at £lO between November 1, 1964, and November 17. 1984, was dismissed. FAILED TO GIVE WAY Roy Ernest Cairns, aged 46. a driver, was convicted and fined £lO on a charge of failing to give way to his right at the intersection of St. Asaph street and Barbadoes street on March 11. Cairns (Mr A. A. P. Willy) pleaded not guilty. DANGEROUS SPEED Teddy Edward Ruki, aged 19, a grocer, was convicted of driving at a dangerous speed in Barrington street on March 13. He pleaded not guilty, and was represented by Mr H. J. B. Quigley. The Magistrate adjourned the question of sen. tence until May 21. DISMISSED A charge of driving a motorvehicle carelessly in Lichfield street on March 14, against Lonya Tovmasian, a bus-driver (Mr R. G. Blunt) was dismissed RfiMANDED Conrad Lawrenee Thain, aged 18. a freezing worker, was remanded until May 10 on a charge of being idle and disorderly.