MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 288, 31 August 1929, Page 24

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

POLICE AND SUMMONS CASES Mr. E. Page. S.M., dealt with police eases in the Magistrate’s Court yesterd!lVincent Christie, alias Pobar, aged 45, who appeared for sentence on a charge of stealing 10s. sd. by “ringing the changes,” from Jnmes Torrance, was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment with hard labour. “I thought yesterday,” said the Magistrate, on viewing the Australian list of accused’s convictions, “that the circumstances of the case sounded as if the actions of the accused were those of a professional thief rather than that of a first offender.” Owen Connelly, a fireman, aged 26. and MacGregor Auld, a fireman, aged 32, were each fined £2, in default seven, days’ imprisonment, on a charge of assaulting Norman Morrison. The assault, which was said by the accused to have been only a drunken brawl, took place on the overseas steamer Raranga on Thursday night. “Should the vessel leave before the men have paid their fine,” said Mr. Page, “they are to be placed on board.” SUMMONS CASES. Bertram Charles Ginders and a married woman, aged 22, whose name was ordered to be suppressed, pleaded guilty to respectively receiving £lO and £5 from Kenneth James Blake, knowing the money to be dishonestly obtained. Mr. W. P. Rollings stated that the accused could not be described as “receivers who were indispensable to the thief,” but they had merely been foolish and accepted money they had no right to accept.” ChiefDetective Lopdell said that Blake had been before the Court last Monday on a charge of stealing £4O from a drunken man named Robson, who came to town with, a big sum of money from the Wairarapa. Blake had given Ginders £lO of the money, and the woman £5. The two accused were placed on probation for a period of twelve months. John Benjamin Manttan, a milk vendor of Island Bay, was fined £5, in default one months’ imprisonment, for stealing a can and five gallons of milk, valued at £1 17s. 4d., the property of the Wellington City Milk Corporation and another. Accused committed the theft when he rah short of his own milk. He had never been previously before the Court. William Herdsman was fined £2 for attempting to steal a flower plant valued at 15s. from the garden of Joseph Mackay. Harold George King, for selling milk not complying with the standard required, was fined £2. Archibald McLeod Wilson was fined £2 on each of two charges of failing to furnish income tax returns. David John Ball, a hairdresser, ad-

mitted having accepted a premium in respect of employment of a shop assistant. Mr. W. J. Mountjoy (Inspector of Awards), who prosecuted, did not press for a heavy penalty on account of the defendant’s financial circumstances. At. the same time he painted out that the prcatice would have to be stopped, and other offenders had better take a warning while they had the chance. Ball was fined £3 and costs. The Magistrate said he would allow him three weeks in which to find fiw mouea.