YOUNG MEN BLAME, RAT

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 100, 21 January 1939, Page 13

YOUNG MEN BLAME, RAT

Charge Of Wilful Damage To Building A rat was alleged to have started the trouble which resulted in three young men appearing before Mr. A. M. Colliding, S.M., in the Magistrates Court, Upper Hutt, yesterday, charged with committing mischief by wilfully damaging a building, and a table, valued nt £o, the property of Alexander Pringle Smith. The defendants were Douglas Gweiio Goodall, Petoue, Archibald Thomas Begbie, Petone, and John Henry Parkinson, Petoue. , Constable F. J. Williams, who prosecuted, said that on December 12 he went to Smith's property on the Whitemans Valley road and was shown damage whteli liad been done to a farm building tlie previous day. A padlock and three windows were broken, a door was burst open, and a partition and a table were smashed. Beer bottles were lying about, and tltere was evidence of a picnic party having been there. He made inquiries and later interviewed defendantfl. who admitted that they had been reflponfltble for the damage, Their explanation was that they had seen a rat, and that the damage had been done during tlie ensuing hunt. it was a serious offence, and one for which he could imprison defendants, said the magistrate. There was evidence of drinking, and the larrikanism must Daye resulted from the men being under the influence of liqnor. A rat hunt was no exenfle for smashing windows and walls mid throwing things about in the way they had. Goodall. Begbie mid Parkinson were each fined £4. and ordered to pay costs nnd make good the damage.