LICENSING LAW

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 42, 17 August 1918, Page 3

LICENSING LAW

ALLEGED BREACHES.

A charge of having supplied liquor after hours was preferred against Patrick Joseph Griffin, licensee, and Albert Brown, barman, of the Gresham Hotel, in the Magistrate's Court yesterday afternoon, before Mr. W. G. Riddell, S.M.

Andrew M'Guire, a member of the Military Poli£e, said that about 9.20 p.m. on the 3th July-he went into the hotel, and caw in a small room upstairs, which looked like a bar, four men with glasses in front of them. The glasses looked ,as if they had contained beer. The four men ran away. Later, he and Sergeant Mathieson found two men named Howard and Howell ' concealed' near at hand. Sergeant Mathieson asked Brown if he had supplied the men, and Brown said: "Yes, I did supply them, being under the impression that they were boarders."

To Mr. M'Grath, who appeared for the defendant, witness said there were four men on the landing when Sergeant Matliieson asked Brown if he had supplied "those two men." When Brown said "Yes," Howard andl Howell got up and walked downstairs.

Giving ■ evidence for the defence, Brown said that when the police came in he was parrying some' liquor into the commercial room to some boarders. He would not serve anybody who was not a boarder. To have done so would have entailed his dismissal. He was positive that he did not hand liquor to anybody who was not staying at the hotel.

The licensee stated that he had instructed the barman not to serve-anyone but boarders after hours.

This morning his Worship gave his decision. After reviewing the evidence, he remarked that there were extenuating •circumstances in that a list of boarders had been provided for the barman: who was to question persoffs before liquor was supplied, but though the system was good, it broke down. The barman was fined 40e, with 7s costs, and the licensee was convicted and ordered to pay costs,