Man convicted for soliciting

Press, 19 August 1983, Page 5

Man convicted for soliciting

A man was convicted in the District Court yesterday on a charge of offering himself as a prostitute in Worcester Street on May 31. The defendant, Eric James Hagarty, aged 23, unemployed, was remanded on bail to August 23 for sentence by Judge Frampton.

Sergeant J. E. Dwyer prosecuted and Mr W. Rosenberg appeared for the defendant, who denied the charge.

Prosecution evidence was given that a plain clothes constable on a bicycle saw the defendant, dressed in women’s clothing, in Worcester Street. The defendant called out to him and asked him if he was “interested.” The constable said he was.

They then went to an alley' and the defendant offered him sex for various prices. The defendant indicated a dark corner of the alley and the witness then disclosed that he was a police constable.

The defendant, in evidence, said he had gone into

the city about 3 a.m. “to sort myself out” as he was having trouble with alcohol and drugs. He intended to travel home on the first bus of the morning. He had been asked by the constable what he was doing and had replied, nothing. He denied soliciting the constable.

Separate charges of assaulting a girl aged 17, and unlawfully getting into a car at New Brighton, on May 14, were adjourned part heard to August 23 for completion. Evidence heard yesterday was that a young woman was resting in her boyfriend’s car while a twentyfirst function they were attending in a nearby hall was in progress, when a group of persons, including the defendant, came to the car. One person made off with her handbag and others in the group attacked her. She identified the defendant as having kicked her after she had been dragged out of the car.

Tia group then drove off in he» boyfriend’s car.