INVADED HOUSE AND DAMAGED PROPERTY

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 127, 22 February 1941, Page 13

INVADED HOUSE AND DAMAGED PROPERTY

Four Months’ Jail Imposed

Dominion Special Service. WANGANUI, February 21.

"This is the case of a drunken young blackguard, who chases a girl into a house and then invades the premises and smashes the furniture,” said Mr. Salmon, S.M., in the Magistrates’ Court today, when sentencing John Ernest Reardon, aged 19, to two months’ imprisonment on each of two charges of wilfully damaging property. Reardon was also ordered to pay for the damage done, amounting to £l6/7/-. Senior-Sergeant F. Culloty, who prosecuted, told the Court that at about 6.15 p.m. last Saturday a girl was standing outside her home when she saw Reardon coming. He was staggering and yelling at the top of his voice. AA'hen Reardon saw the girl enter and close the gate he followed her. She ran round the house twice with Reardon in pursuit, and ultimately ran through the front door and out the back. Reardon entered the living-room and started knocking the furniture about. When the police arrived he was asleep on the veranda. Called to give evidence on Reardon’s behalf, a relative said he behaved very well at home. Witness had seen him under the influence of liquor aud it affected him badly Making a plea for leniency, Mr. C. r. Treadwell said Reardon had absolutely no recollection of the incident. AA’hen not under the influence of liquor he was a reputable citizen, very trustworthy, and worked well. The total damage amounted to £IG/7/-, and Reardon had offered to refund this at the rate of £2 a M’eek. . Reardon was on probation and could hardly be described as a person with a previous good character, commented the magistrate. The Court could not possibly condone offences of this sort. The public must be protected.