Bookmaking charge dismissed

Press, 26 July 1984, Page 4

Bookmaking charge dismissed

A businessman, in the District Court yesterday, had a charge against him of carrying on the business of a bookmaker in a Christchurch hotel on May 25 dkmksed, although Judge Kerr said hk actions had been “extremely suspicious.” In dkmissing the charge against Anthony Patrick Canovan, aged 43, the Judge said that he could not be satkfied beyond reasonable doubt that bets written on the back of a T.A.B. Jetbet ticket, which Canovan had tried to screw up when a detective said he wanted the ticket, were written by Canovan., Sergeant M. P. Caldwell prosecuted and Mr P. M. James appeared for Canovan, who denied the charge. Police evidence was given that while Canovan’s activitiesin the bar of the King

George Hotel were watched, he was seen to go to a telephone and on hk return to open a race book and put a small piece of paper on it and “appear to be writing.” A detective said that he wanted the paper and Canovan screwed it up and tried to push it through hk fingers. The defendant denied bookmaking in the hotel and said that he received a telephone call from hk wife, who was calling to drive him home. He said he did not have a pen. He had picked up the piece of paper to see what it had on it He said that he did not get a chance to look, before the detective grabbed hk hand. The paper meant nothing to him. The Judge said that there had been no evidence that the handwriting on the slip was Canovan’s.