Bookmaker ‘fell asleep’

Press, 7 May 1983, Page 6

Bookmaker ‘fell asleep’

A man convicted on what were his fifth and sixth bookmaking offences was sentenced to periodic detention for eight months when he appeared before Judge Pain in the District Court yesterday. The Judge told Leonard John Gamble, aged 34, unemployed (Mr M. J. Glue), that it was a matter of concern that he already had

previous convictions for this offence. This indicates that a salutary and deterrent sentence was called for, he said. But after hearing counsel’s submissions he was prepared to avoid imprisonment by the imposition of periodic detention. In addition Gamble was put on probation for 18 months during which time

he was to undertake treatment for his alcoholism. The Judge also ordered the forfeiture of records and money, seized by the police, to the Crown. In addition the defendant’s telephone was to be disconnected for two years and Gamble was prohibited from obtaining any other telephone connection during this period. Gamble admitted charges of carrying on the business of a bookmaker on March 26 and on April 6. When police visited a Christchurch address on April 6 they found the defendant, a transistor radio, a telephone, race books, and betting records, showing 45 bets, amounting to 5668, laid on a one-day race meeting. On March 26 when police visited the defendant’s Norwood Street address they found Gamble asleep at a table on which were betting slips, a radio, and a telephone. Two hundred and fiftyeight bets, totalling 54664, had been recorded.. Another person had been taking bets while Gamble had been asleep. Mr Glue said that Gamble’s was a very unusual case. His client was not wealthy and it was rare to encounter an impoverished bookmaker. Gamble’s financial affairs were in a chaotic order and he was a man who required hospitalisation for his alcoholism. Mr Glue submitted that for a bookmaker to be “flaked out” on the day of a race meeting was “really incredible.” Gamble, he said, had been approached by someone else who had been “taken out of circulation” to carry on his business. Gamble, being out of work, had agreed. A man, aged 35, who admitted acting as a bookmaker’s agent was convicted and fined $350. Philip Clifford Simons, unemployed (Mr M. J. Glue), committed the offence on April 26. Mr Glue said his client’s involvement in answering the telephone and taking bets was because the bookmaker, Gamble, who had been drinking all day, had

dropped off to sleep. In answering the telephone, he submitted, Simons had been doing his “fumbling best” to carry on Gamble’s business. Simons gained no financial reward. He asked that his client be dealt with by way of a modest fine. The maximum fine for being a bookmaker’s agent is $2OOO. ROBBERY CHARGE A man charged that being armed with a carving knife he robbed Maurice Mervyn Inglis of a watch, valued at $l3O, and $3 in cash, was remanded in custody to May 13. Alan James Malloch, aged 18, unemployed, is charged with committing the offence on May 6. On a charge of breaking into a house in Papanui Road, the day before, he was also remanded without plea to May 13. Bail was sought by the duty solicitor, Miss I. Mitchell, who said that a surety was available. Because of the nature of the alleged offence in which a witness was threatened with a knife, Sergeant J. E. Dwyer opposed bail. PERIODIC DETENTION A refrigeration engineer, who .was overpaid $2400 in unemployment benefits, while in employment, was sentenced to periodic detention for five months. Brian Gregory O’Donnell, aged 20 (Mr M. J. Glue), had admitted a charge of intentionally misleading the Department of Social Welfare about a change in his circumstances so that he could continue to receive the benefit. The offence was committed between March 20 and December 6, last year. In explanation O’Donnell said that he was just starting out in business on his own at the time and needed the extra money. . The Judge said that he took into account that the defendant was a first offender. But the nature of the offence was prevalent in the community and a deterrent sentence wassailed for. On the subject of compensation the Judge said that he would leave this to be pursued in another jurisdiction.