Pie incident leads to court

Press, 8 May 1980, Page 29

Pie incident leads to court

PA Auckland Being sold two halffrozen pies by the same dairy proved too much for law-abiding lan Gordon Preston, of Mangere. He threw one of them at the dairy window, and the incident led to his first appearance before a court. Preston, aged 19, a tyre retreader, pleaded guilty to behaving in a disorderly manner in New North Road when he appeared before Judge Blackwood in the District Court at Auckland. Sergeant R. G. Robertson said that on March 5 the defendant went to the complainant’s dairy “to discuss a cold pie he had received.” There was an argument. On leaving the dairy Preston bought a second pie which he threw at the front window. It splattered on the window and on the floor of the shop. Mr N. H. Birdsey, for

Preston, said that the first pie bought by the defendant was more than cold. It was half-frozen and had ice cubes in it. When he returned it to tile dairy he was abused, and the vendor refused to take it back. The defendant bought a second pie from an assistant, and found it to be in a similar condition to the first. In frustration he threw it against the window. “In view of the hardness of the pie,” said Mr Birdsey, “it was surprising the window did not shatter.” The Judge discharged and ordered him to pay $4O towards the costs of the prosecution. Preston without conviction upset, you cannot go throwing pies at shop windows, but I don’t want to see your record blackened for something you did when you were provoked.”