Magistrate's Court Man Fined £75 For Keeping Gaming-house

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30807, 20 July 1965, Page 14

Magistrate's Court Man Fined £75 For Keeping Gaming-house

“I am not prepared to encourage this sort of behaviour at all. From what I have been told, it has no redeeming features at all,” Mr K. H. J. Headifen, S.M., said in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday when he convicted and fined Jasper Anthony Harland Holt Waring, aged 44, a signwriter (Mr A. F. W. Wilding), £75 on a charge of using premises at 71 Gloucester street as a common gaming-house. Waring pleaded guilty.

Sergeant V. F. Townshend said that at 9.20 p.m. on July 8 a police party searched a room in the Returned Services’ Association's building in Gloucester street. Waring was found running an illegal game known as “unders and overs.” A stack of notes and coins was on the table in front of him, and he had a handful of money. Waring admitted that he was running the evening, and that he had hired the hall and issued invitations in the name of the United Workers’ Social Club, a name he had made up. Waring told the police that he began the evening with £5O, but was running at a loss when the police arrived. More than £24 was found in his possession, and more than £3O was on the table, said Sergeant Townshend. Seventeen other persons, most of them under 21, were also in the room, and Waring admitted selling them tickets at 2s fid each. The tickets were for a ‘‘beer party,” and Waring said that most of the persons there did not know that gambling would be going on.

The room had been hired for a tramping club meeting, said Sergeant Townshend. Mr Wilding said that Waring had not sold the tickets himself, even though he had them printed. He had been concerned to see that they had been sold to young people.

Three persons pleaded guilty to charges of being found in a common gaminghouse at 71 Gloucester street on July 8.

John Alan Dobson, aged 20, was fined £3, Maurice Noel Schott, aged 38, was fined £3, and Ivan Gus Urlich, aged 40, was fined £5. Several other persons whose names were suppressed. were released from their bail, and charges of being found in a common gaming-house against them were adjourned to July 26. It was indicated pleas of not guilty would be entered. ASSAULTED DOORMAN Patrick James O’Brien, aged 20, a driver, was convicted and fined £2O on a charge of assaulting Frank Graham on July 17. to which he pleaded guilty. Sergeant P. J. Alty said ■that at 9.55 p.m. on July 17 O’Brien went with two friends to a public dance at Yaldhurst. They were told by the doorman that they could not go into the dance because they did not have partners and were not wearing the proper clothes. The doorman allowed them to stand inside the door to watch the dance. When the doorman again approached them and asked them to leave, the accused abused him and punched him, knocking him to the ground. When he was on the ground, the doorman was kicked and punched. When he tried to leave, O’Brien Was apprehended by patrons of the dance. To a similar charge, Basil Thomas George Hannight, aged 32. a driver, pleaded guilty. He was convicted and fined £lO. Sergeant Alty said that the circumstances were similar to those outlined in the case against O’Brien, except that Hanright ran away after the assault and was tracked bv a police dog. INDECENT ASSAULT Frederick Leslie Dix, aged 39, a postal assistant, pleaded guilty to two charges of indecent assault, one on a girl aged nine and one on a girl aged six. The offences were committed on or about June 25 and July 3.

Dix was convicted on both charges and remanded on bail to July 23. The offences occurred in accused’s house, the Court was told.

PROBATION Robin Marina Brown, aged 18, a labourer, and Brian Ronald Jarman, aged 17, a workman, were admitted to probation for two years when they appeared for sentence on a joint charge of unlawfully taking a car, valued at £2O, the property of Bruce Howard Meaclem, and on separate charges of breaking and entering Shackle’s Butchery at Hornby. Each was odered to pay £2O towards the cost of prosecution, make restitution of £4, work where directed, not to associate with one another or with any persons disapproved by the probation officer. not to consume liquor during the term of probation, and to open a savings bank account. Brown was ordered to live with his father in Napier and Jarman with his mother in Auckland.

They had pleaded not guilty to both charges, but had been convicted. Mr D. H. Stringer, who appeared for both accused, said they had both been to Borstal and Brown had been released only for a short time. They had some redeeming features. Brown did not have a high intelligence, and his father wanted him to return to the farm. It was a most inept attempt at burglary, and both had been drinking at the time. ASSAULT

A man, whose name was suppressed, was remanded on bail to July 23 for sentence on a charge of assaulting a woman on June 18. He pleaded guilty. Sergeant Townshend said that the accused seized the woman by the coat and held a knife at her throat. He also forced her to the floor. The accused denied having the knife when questioned by the police, but later admitted that he had hidden it up a chimney. Two knives were found concealed there. On the way to the station the accused admitted telling the woman: “I’ll do both of us in.”

The Magistrate said a medical report indicated that the accused was hardly responsible for his actions. OBSCENE LANGUAGE

Michael Harold Cleghorn, aged 23, a knitting-machine operator, pleaded guilty to a charge of using obscene language in Cathedral square on July 16 and was fined £lO. On a charge of disorderly behaviour on the same date he was fined £5. Sergeant Alty said that Cleghorn and another youth were seen in a fighting attitude outside the Post Office, and Cleghorn was using the language complained of. William Brian Flint, aged 19, a soldier, pleaded guilty to a charge of using obscene language in the public lavatories in Cathedral square, and was fined £l5.

William Douglas Oldham, aged 22, a contractor, pleaded guilty to a charge of using obscene language in Cathedral square on July 17 and was fined £l5. TAXI FARE NOT PAID

Charged with obtaining credit by fraud for a taxi fare for 4s on July 17, Keith Mouritsen, aged 35, a labourer, pleaded guilty. He was convicted and fined £5, and was ordered to make restitution of 4s.

Sergeant Townshend said that at 5.50 p.m. on July 17 the accused hired a taxi from the railway station to take him to the Club Hotel. At the Club Hotel, he told the driver to wait for him, but about five minutes later the taxi-driver saw Mouritsen running off down the road. When apprehended, Mountsen admitted that he had only Is in his possession, and knew when he left the railway station that he would not be able to pay the taxi fare. IDLE AND DISORDERLY John William Mapstone, aged 20, unemployed, was convicted and remanded in custody to July 23 for sentence on a charge of being idle and disorderly on July 18 in that he had insufficient lawful means of support. Mapstone pleaded guilty. Sergeant Alty said that the accused was stopped by a constable in Manchester street at 7.15 a.m. on July 18. Map-

stone told the constable that he had been wandering the streets all night, as he had no place to go. He had 9s 7d in his possession. TRIAL ELECTED

Charged with using obscene language in Clare road on July 3, Trevor David Smith, aged 20, a workman, elected trial by jury. He was remanded on bail to July 26. On a charge of using insulting words on July 3 he was remanded on bail to September 6. ASSAULT Pleading guilty to a charge of assault, Eric Raymond Bryce, aged 38, a storeman, was fined £lO. He originally pleaded not guilty. The Court was told that on July 18 Bryce assaulted his landlady by punching her on the shoulder. She was not injured. Bryce said he was drunk at the time, and regretted the offence. REMANDED

Two youths, whose names were suppressed, were remanded on bail to July 26 on charges of being found in a common gaming-house on July 8. Graeme George Peters, aged 20, was remanded to July 29 on a charge of disorderly behaviour on July 16. Appearing for Peters, Mr M. J. Glue said that a plea of not guilty would be entered. LIQUOR AFTER HOURS Sidney John Hamilton Aston was fined £2 on a charge that, being a hotel manager, he sold liquor after hours on August 14, 1964. Mr R. E. Wylie, representing Aston, entered a plea of guilty. He described the offence as a technical one. LIQUOR NEAR DANCE On a charge of having liquor at a public dance in the Hei Hei Memorial Hall on June 26, Maurice Bellamy, aged 22, was fined £3. He pleaded guilty. Bruce Lennie, aged 18, an apprentice mechanic, was fined £3 on a charge that, being a minor, he had liquor at a public dance in the South Brighton Community Centre Hall on June 26. Russell Roylance, aged 21, a clerk, was fined £3 on a charge of having liquor near the Hei Hei dance hall on June 26. MINORS FINED On a charge of being on licensed premises when a minor the following were fined: Graham Anderson McQueen Liddy, aged 19, £5; George Hugh Taylor, aged 19, £5 (gave false particulars, £5); Richard John Aldous, aged 19, £3; Mervyn Batt, aged 20, £3; Donald John Grieve, aged 18, £5; George James Manuel, aged 20, £3; Noel Ernest McNicholl, aged 20, £3. (Before Mr E. A. Lee, S.M.) DECISION RESERVED Herbert Kendall, licensee of the Lancaster Park Hotel, and Eunice Daphne Hills, a barmaid, were each charged with supplying liquor to Bernard Peter Gullery, a person under the age of 21, on May 12. Mr W. F. Brown appeared for both defendants, who pleaded not guilty. The Magistrate reserved his decision.

Gullery, aged 19 years 11 months, said he and five others were standing at a table seven or eight yards from the bar. He did not buy any drink himself—another in the group had bought it. When questioned in the bar by the police, he said he had bought one jug of beer, Gullery told the prosecutor (Sergeant Alty). Asked why he had changed his story, he said: “I did not realise I would get these other people into trouble.”

Gullery told Mr Brown he had taken the blame when the police arrived so that be would not get his companions into trouble. On June 28 he had pleaded guilty in the Magistrate’s Court to purchasing liquor from an employee at the hotel, as it seemed easier than denying the charge. He had not been represented by counsel. Gullery agreed that the bar differed from an ordinary one. Customers bought jugs and took them away to stand at tables.

In his evidence Gullery had not said he consumed liquor, or was given liquor by one of the others, submitted Mr Brown. He had denied buying it, and given a reasonable explanation for his previous statements.

It was impossible in a bar such as this for a barmaid to see where liquor was taken and who was drinking it, said Mr Brown.

The Magistrate said the 1 question of an indirect supply had been raised in a case in Greymouth. It had been held that liquor was supplied, and an appeal was being heard in the Supreme Court this week. He would reserve this matter until the decision from Greymouth was available. the Magistrate said. Hills and Kendall also pleaded not guilty to charges of supplying liquor to William Robin Mailoch, aged 18 years 10 months, a baker’s assistant, on June 4. Both were convicted, and Hills was fined £4 and Kendall £2. While Mailoch looked more than 18, he did not look 21, the Magistrate said. His appearance had certainly justified an inquiry by Hill, who had not asked his age. ASSAULTED WIFE Charged with assaulting Eunice Debenham on July 14 and July 15, Charles George Debenham, aged 38. a plumber (Mr J. B. Williams) pleaded not guilty. He was convicted and remanded on bail to July 26 for sentence. A condition of bail is that he keeps away from his home during the period of the remand.