MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1077, 16 March 1911, Page 3

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

(Before Mr. AY. G. Riddell, S.M.) THEFT OF A HEIFER. YOUNG MAN SENT TO GAOL. A young man, named Arthur Gifford St. (Jlair fsbister, appeared on remand, charged with the thclt of a heifer valued at ,£B, the property of Annie O'Sheii. Mr. 1\ W. Jackson, on bohnlf of accused, entered a plea of not guilty. According to Chief-Detective Broberg, Mrs. O'Shoa. had sent two heifers to graze on accused's run near Ngahauranga, and _\vas to pay.a foe of If. (id. a week. On account ot something which she had heard recently she went to the run to look for the heifers, but failed to find them. Subsequently it was learned that one of the animals had been sold to a Mr. Flitter for 355. Accused had arrived in the Dominion from England some thirteen months ago. Nothing was known against him previously. Mi'. Jackson said that it was quite true that accused had sold one of the heifers, but he was under the impression that Mrs. O'Shea wanted to sell it, and accused thought that, if he found a buyer, she would accept. The ■ mistake which accused made was in converting the money to his own use. Counsel also considered the stated value of the heifer to be excessive, and asked for leniency for accused, who hqd hitherto borne a good character, and who had refunded the 355. received for the heifer. Perhaps his Worship might see his way to enter a conviction, and order accused to come up for sentence when called on. The magistrate remarked that it was rather unusual for a case pf theft of an animal to be dealt with in that court. Accused had elected to be tried summarily, though it would have been more satisfactory, perhaps, if the' matter had been disposed of by a jury. Thefts of doDiestic animals, such as cattle and sheep, were looked upon as serious offences .in the Supreme Court, and his Worship could not sec his way to allow probation in this case. Accused was in business for himself, and hod sufficient experience to know the difference between honesty and dishonesty. He would be sentenced to three months' imprisonment. The money refunded was ordered to be handed to Mr. Futtor, and the heifer to bt returned to the owuer. A PLAUSIBLE STORY. George M'Donald pleaded guilty to a charge of obtaining ,C 1 10s. from Thomas .Cahill by means of false pretences. Chief-Detective Broberg stated that about one o'clock on March 8 M'Donald called oiv Dr. Cahill, on Wellington Terrace, and told the latter that he (accused) was in poor circumstances, and had a wife and family to support. Accused represented himself as a painter with work ahead of him, but stated that he was unnble to go on with it as he was in need of a few shillings to buy material with. Moved by the man's apparent earnestness, Dr. Cahill gave him a cheque for *£1 10s., which, however, was not expended in buying paint. At a later date, M'Donald tried a similar ruse at Dr. Martin's residence, but failed to obtain any money. Accused, (said the Chief Detective) had a wife and "family in Auckland, but he had not been supporting them. There were several'previous convictions against him for falso"pretences, and.he had only recently been discharged from gaol. The magistrate imposed a sentence of three months' imprisonment. OTHER CASES. >Luke Farrell admitted being found in a state of helpless drunkenness in Manners Street on Tuesday afternoon. Ho also pleaded guilty .to a charge of wilfully damaging a window, 'valued at £2 "s., the property of Kitto and Graham. Ho was remanded for medical treatment until March 22, when he will be , sentenced on both charges. A young married man named George Ifiirst Moody, who had been, found' helplessly drunk a week ago and remanded for medical treatment, pleaded guilty to a charge of drunkenness, and to a further charge of procuring liquor during the currency of a prohibition order. Accused, Nit wa? stated, had committed a breach of the order on more than one previous, occasion, and the magistrate reminded him that he was liable to be sent to the Inebriates' Homo at Rotorua. Accused pleaded for another chance, and promised to return to his business in Onehunga. On the charge of procuring liquor, a fine of 10s. was imposed) in default seven days' imprisonment. On tho charge of drunkenness, accused was convicted and ordered to pay medical expenses (17s. 6d.), in' default -18 hours' imprisonment. John Crawford pleaded guilty to a charge of drunkenness, and was fined 205., in default seven days' imprisonment. One first-offending inebriate, who did not ap-, pear, was ordered to forfeit his bail of 10s., or undergo 24 hours' imprisonment. Another, first offender was convicted and discharged.; Gariok Davidion, charged with ' disobedience of a maintenance order, was remanded until March 22. Annie M'Grath, who appeared on re- ■ mand charged with being an idle and disorderly person without sufficient lawful means of support, was further remanded until this morning.. A further adjournment until March 20 was granted in the case against James Hessey, charged with wilfully- damaging two plate-glass windows valued at .£lO, the property of George Howe. Accused was represented by Mr. JI. F. O'Loary; on whose application the remand was granted. . . JUVENILE COURT. A lad eight years of ago was before the , magistrate in the Juvenile Court yesterday on two charges of theft of money, viz., stealing Is. Gd. and stealing 35.. On the first charge he was discharged, his father being ordered to refund tho amount of Is. Gd. On the second charge the lad was ordered to receive five strokes of the birch, and was committed to the Stoko Industrial School, his father to pay is. per week towards his maintenance.