IGNORANT OF LAWS

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 16, 20 January 1928, Page 9

IGNORANT OF LAWS

. —*■ • ■ ITALIAN AND FIREARM Ignorance of the laws of the country, was the excuse given by Mr. 1\ Anyon in the Magistrate'a Qourt to-day for Cation Cavallaro, an Kalian, who pleaded guilty to being in possession of ah unlawful weapon, an automatic pistol, A second charge. of possessing cartridges for the pistol was also admitted, Detective-Sergeant Holmes said that the pistol and" ammunition had been found by the police in the defendant's house. He had no license to retain the pistol. It was illegal to possess cartridges for such a weapon, I Mr. Any on said that when Gavallaro was asked by the Cußtoms officers on his arrival in NeV Zealand a year ago whether he had anything to declare, he simply looked blank, as ho knew very little English. One of his bags was searched and the other, in which the pistol and cartridges were packed, was passed without examination. Counsel added that the pistol.and.ammunition had remained in the bag up to the present time, and the defendant had no sinistor motive for retaining them. \ A line of £3 was imposed on'the first chargo, On the second charge, Cavallaro was convicted and discharged. The pistol and cartridges were ordered to be forfeited.