Magistrate’s Court Reserved decision on gaming charges

Press, 20 August 1976, Page 6

Magistrate’s Court Reserved decision on gaming charges

Mr W F. Brown, S.M.. yes-jl terday reserved his decision;' on whether there was a prima I 1 facie case against three men; charged separately with con-ji ducting a gaming house and I selling liquor on the premises. i Robert Stanley Tuck, aged.l 29, Trevor Malcolm Rose-’ wame, aged 31. and Kevin, i James Wright, aged 27. had!l pleaded not guilty to the I charges. ’i Detective T. A. Lewis said that he had bought a ticket H for a “social evening” for §lol' and went to a hall in Marsh-|l land Road, where the func-’l tion was to take place, on| May 14. [I Tuck had taken the dectec-! 1 tive’s ticket at the entrance J to the hall. When Detective! Lewis went into the hall he’ l saw about 150 people stand-, 1 ing around. He went up to a;’ bar at the end of the hall and' Rosewame gave him a drink! l of whisky. Detective Lewis told the!* Court that he returned to the * bar later and was served by' l Wright. About 10 p.m. he wasj l offered a raffle ticket. The! l prizes were to be two girls,p who were to take part in a 1 lesbian act later in the even-| Ing. Indecent films were shown during the evening and gamesii of “unders and overs” were I played at the rear of the hall.!

Detective Lewis said that i Wright had assisted another ■ man in running the games. At about midnight, just as iit was announced that the ■ lesbian act would start, a number of police officers !burst into the hall. ! Detective R. W. Thurston • told the Court that he had I beer one of a number of I policemen who raided a hall in Marshaland Road on May 14. Detective Thurston had ’broken a side window to I watch activities within the I hall and to seize exhibits if possible. Detective Thurston said that he saw a bar set up in |the hall and on the bar was a brown bag filled with tickets. The tickets were printed with an invitation for a social and Tuck’s address iwas on the reverse side. Rosewarne had been at the !ba r supplying liquor, he said. Detective R. Bruce told the (Court that he had also been ■ one of the police partv who raided the hall. He went with Wright to his vehicle and found a plastic container with two dice in it. 5251.35 in cash, and an “unders and overs” mat. ■ Wright told Detective Bruce that he had gone to ’the hall at about 9.15 p.m. jand had then decided to help (behind the bar. I Part of Detective Bruce’s

t evidence, that relating to r questions he asked of , Wright and the answers re- ; ceived, was rejected by the i Magistrate because at the 5 time these questions were asked Wright had not been i cautioned by the detective. i Mr S. G. Erber, for Rosef warne, said that he believed 1 his client had no case to answer in relation to the 1 gaming charge because none y of the witnesses had shown 3 that Rosewarne had been inf volved with conducting the illegal games. i Mr Erber. also acting for i Tuck, said that Tuck had no a case to answer in relation to . the charge of selling liquor, i or conducting illegal games 1 because the witnesses had s given no evidence to say that Tuck had done either. i i Mr Erber said he did not .’ propose to call his clients to »jgive evidence until he knew i exactly what charges they 5 faced. i Mr G. Lascelles, for ijWright, said that he did not t I propose to call his client, .■and he did not think suf'lficient evidence had been (given by the prosecution to »! establish a prima facie case jiagainst Wright. 1.1 Mr Brown adjourned the 31 case until a date to be fixed when he would give his sldecision.