MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 534, 15 June 1909, Page 11

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

'•>■■•: (Before Mr.■ "wi \.Q. Riddell, SM.) ... V BEFCSINC DTJTT ON THE HIGH SEAS. ' ; A swarthy-visage'd and heavily-built mariner, Darned James Gunn, was charged with continuous disobedience of the lawful ■ commands of ,the;chief officer of the Wakanui, while that 'vessel was on the high sens. Dr. Pollen, the Port Health Officer, gave evidence as to acoused's fitness for duty.,:' - Vivian Charles White-Parsons, master of the •Woianui; stated that Gunn was signed on ns an:A.B.at Eondon. He was insolent'on-.the voyage out 1 to Hobart,- but. the continuous disobedience referred to in the charge commenced on the voyage from.the.Tosmaman port. On June 7 Hβ refused duty, and had not been to '■'. work sinfo. ':■ -, r ."■■■•' ■';'■; ;,

■'■ Dr.- Gastle, shiii-'s 'Bnrgeon of. the Wakanni,. who examined defendant by the captain' 3 orders,; 6tated that' the man was quite fit for ; . '; ■''■; - ■■ ' :.'■■■-'! .■

John Bright Makepeace, chief officer of the ' Wakanui, a 1.50 gave evidence. ( ' Defendant, in giving evidence on his own be- . half,' stated • that he had sustained injuries, which had'prevented.him from going to work. •■■' His Worship entered a conviction and sentence of; six weeks' imprisonment, and ordered defendant to pay : £l Bs. costs. : .CONSTABLE AND EX-CONSTABLE. A charge of using insulting language was the. lubiect of a police prosecution, brought against Christopher M'Kay. Sub-Inspector Phair con- : duoted the prosecution. , , .:■ . • '•■:. M'Kay, an ex-policeman, was defended by : Mr." Jackson. Evidence' in.."support"of the prosecution was given by Constable Kyne, Alfred Airiies, and: Sergeant Dale. It was to the effect 'that,-.on June ;8, -in a "right-of-way off Willis Street, defendant used-insulting language towards : Constable Kyne, and wanted to fight '.him. .The constable did not:arrest him.ashe .considered that; his language was not obscene, but gave"a warning that he would proseoute . him. defendant then went down to the police statioi, and oharged,,the constable with using insulting language towards' him. He was told ..to come bacF the next day when sober. ' ' ;" In giving ftvideficsjon'his own behalf, defend-. . ant denied the facts stated in the charge. One of the chief points of his defence was that one. of the expressions in ,'Ae charge was "purely . Anstrr,lian,"7 and defendant, ■ beins a Scotchlnan,/lhad never heard it before. Hβ produced his disoharge from the Glasgow Police Force, testifying J to. good but, in:.cross-ex- ■ aminatibn by The.Bub-inspector, it was brought out that M'Kay, during a'short poriod of ser- « vice in the New Zealand .Police 'Force,.-had ;,' been in trouble more than once. -' .. _;>'. :. His Worship considered that the ( evidence ■);■ was against defendant, and he entered a con- ■;■ viction and fine 0f.105., with' costs 17s; - - : ..' • "HAED TIMI1S" AND THEFT. '.'.: A plea of guilty was entered by John Thomas DriscoU to a charge .of the theft of a portmanteau and'its contents, valuedat £6, from the City Buffet Hotel. ■■:■ Chief-Detective Broberg stated that on Saturday, June accused.went to the back>-of the City Buffet Hotel, and, climbing-on somebozee, entered the place through a window , and stole the • portmanteau'." 'Hβ was subsequently ar- : rested by Detectives Cameron and Abbott. On May 25 h« was found guilty of a similar oifence, and admitted to probation for twelve : iionths, but had since been knocking about •he toven, doing,no good for himself. '-■■ in extenuation, stated that times irere very bad in Wellington. He had been poking everywhere for. work, but had been nniblo to find, it, .;,.":. . "-, . '. .-■.■ ;■ A sentence of one month's imprisonment, fith hard labour, was imposed. ;'.'..':',;■ V'-.MAINTENANCE CASES. ". '■'■ ': ;; ".The charge against James M'Kie of failing ■ » maintain an inmate of the Boys' Training Farm was dismissed. An application, made by w>;:Jackson for the remission of , maintenance . arrears woe similarly dealt with. In the cose Eliz. Whitman* (Mr. Kelly) v. A. R. Whit--v marsh (Mr. O'Leary) a eettlement was arrived at inCourt, ,- v ;;- " ;. :■ ■ .',■•.■ .-.■■■.! '::.;■■. v.: OTHEE CASES.,;- ■ -To a charge of entering licensed premisos,"to . wit, the Clarendon Hotel, during the currency of a prohibition order,' Stephen Cairns pleaded ■guilty, and:was convicted and fined 4Us. and .'costs (75.), in default seven days'. imprisonment. '; .'■.■■'■ . ■'.; .-■_■ '.' .'.' '. ' ..••■■ For driving a vehicle without lights, Lawrence Lyons was fined 10s. and coste (7s.),;with tho alternative of 48 hours' imprisonment, ■ -.-Three first offenders i for drunkenness/, were dealt with,-one being convicted arid discharged, and the others, who failed to put in an appearance, were .each fined the amount of their bail, lOsv with the usual alternative of 24 hours. Annie Evans and Jas. Goodier, both of whom had been-previously convicted, were fined lOs., in default 48 hours. Edward Mbrri«on, who failed to appear, was fined 205., with » similar alternative. - ■;■ v- '■ . ■-•.

.■■■>;•■■'• >?; JUVENILE COTJET. ..•> ■, ;■': At a sitting of the Juvenile Court, presided over by Uγ. W. G. Kiddell, S.M., a 12-year-old boy was chvged with entering a residence at Petone on April 27, with intent to commit a : crime. . The charge was dismissed. MOUNT CiDOK POLICE COTJET. ■ At.the Mount Cook Police Court yesterday, ieforo Mr. H. Baker, J.P., George Stant, ■ charged' with insobriety, was. fined 10s., in dej fault 48 hours' imprisonment. James Randel] and Henry Osborne, each charged with insobriety, .'. .frere,nned'.ss., in default 2i hours' imprisonment. One first offender, on bail, who did not appear, v vcas fined 10s., in default 48 hours' imprisonment. v .