BREACH OF ARMS ACT

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 98, 20 January 1936, Page 14

BREACH OF ARMS ACT

Forfeiture of Revolver Ordered TAXI-DRIVER FINED Found unlawfully in possession of a revolver, George Thomas Amundsen, taxi-driver, aged 30, pleaded guilty when charged in the Magistrate’s Court, Wellington, on Saturday with procuring possession of the weapon without a permit and with carrying it without a license. He was lined 10/- and costs on each charge a/d ordered to forfeit the revolver.

Detective-Sergeant L. Revell said that acting on information received on Friday night, Detectives S. C. Browne and N. J. McPhee interrogated defendant on his cab stand, and found the revolver in his possession. He explained that he bad reason to fear two men and carried the weapon to frighten them if they attempted to molest him. He said he had found the revolver at home on his return from Australia about a month ago, and that it was a starting pistol which would fire nothing but ■blank ammunition.

“It originally was a starting pistol,” said Mr. Revell/ “but the barrel has been rebored. Detectives tried it out, and found It would discharge .22 ammunition. Defendant has a list of previous convictions.”

When asked by Mr. H. P. Lawry, S.M., if he had anything to say, defendant said thaX: on his return from Australia he found a woman in his house, and asked her to leave. He suspected that two of her friends were waiting to give him a “hiding.” He did not know who owned the revolver. He found it in his house.. At his work he had shown the pistol to a man he knew was after his job, and had expected to be reported to the police. Woman Takes Bets Stated to have taken 28 bets over the Christmas holidays in sums ranging from 2/6 to 10/-, Janet Shore, mar-

ried, aged’36, pleaded guilty to using her premises at 235 Coutts Street, Kilbirnie, as a common gaming-house. She was fined £l5 and costs.

Detective-Sergeant Revell said defendant had stated that she wanted to supplement her husband’s rather meagre income, and that she had accepted bets on behalf of a bookmaker, receiving five per cent, as commission. It was the first time she bad come under the notice of the police. Fighting in Street “Fighting is an old game of his.’’ said Mr. Revell of William Murphy, labourer, who pleaded guilty to charges of drunkenness and of’fighting with an unknown man. At about 6.15 last Friday evening, said Mr. Revell, defendant was seen in Sturdee Street fighting with another man, who made off xUien the police arrived. Murphy was suffering from a nasty cut over the eye, and was taken to the hospital. Ou the charge of drunkenness, defendant was fined £l, in default 48 hours’ imprisonment, and on the other charge he was fined £2, in default four days’ imprisonment.