Former manager of hotel seeks licence

Press, 22 September 1978, Page 4

Former manager of hotel seeks licence

“I want a chance, inspector. I want a chance,” I said the former manager of Ithe Cantabrian Hotel during ia hearing of his application jfor a manager’s certificate, before the North Canterbury Licensing Committee yesterday. Kenneth Sheard, aged 40, who was being cross-exam-ined by Inspector G. A. Clewer, had his licence revoked after he was convicted in ithe Supreme Court at Christchurch, in December, 1976, on a charge of receiving. He was fined $lOOO.

The chairman of the licensing committee (Mr F. G. Paterson S.M.), reserved his decision. The two objectors to the application, the police and the Hotel Association, based their cases on the conviction for receiving.

Counsel for Mr Sheard (Mr K. N. Hampton) said that he did not accept the rather “general and sensationalised — at least by the news media at the time — evidence” that the Cantabrian premises had been a meeting place for criminals. He said that evidence of this had not been put before Mr Paterson at the hearing. Mr Hampton said that Mr Sheard had not been found in possession of stolen goods and nor had any stolen property been found by the police when they searched the Cantabrian Hotel. He submitted that Mr Sheard had already been punished “severely” for the receiving conviction.

Mr Sheard denied the charge of receiving, as he had at the Supreme Court trial in 1976. He said that he had handed the stolen property to an undercover policeman, “Harry Harvey,” after taking it from the boot of a car parked outside his hotel at his step-brother’s request. He had a few months previously employed his step-brother when he came out of prison because

his mother had asked him Ito. ! He said he had no idea (the property was stolen and jalso denied knowledge of I any criminal activities fcoing ion’ at the Cantabrian while he was the licensee. He had I banned “Harry Harvey” from the hotel before the receiving incident because he suspected that he was "up to no good.”

Three character witnesses were called to testify for Mr Sheard, including a former employer, Patrick Atwood Smith, retired, and two former patrons of the Cantabrian Hotel, Alexander Trevor James Cook, a personnel officer, and John William Wade, retired. Mr Sheard is at present employed as a barman at the Junction Hotel in Rangiora, and hopes to manage the hotel if his certificate application is granted. The owner of the hotel, Robert Wilson White, a former farmer, of Rangiora. and the proprietor, Clemmens Schlaadt, gave evidence for Mr Sheard. Schlaadt said that Mr Sheard was “beyond repi - oach” as a barman. “He is honest, trustworthy, reliable, clean-living, and accepted as part of the family," Mr Schlaadt said. “There are not many people I would trust to run my business, but if I can get hold of him 1 would like to have him.”