GAMING CHARGES

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 92, 20 April 1939, Page 11

GAMING CHARGES

LOWER HUTT CASES

Fines totalling £97 10s were imposed by Mr. A. M. Goulding, S.M., in the Lower Hutt Court today on four men who pleaded guilty to being concerned with bookniaking. Three of the defendants had previous convictions on similar charges.

George Phillips, a hairdresser, aged 63, was charged with keeping a common gaming house, and Nelson Victor Phillips with assisting in the offence.

Detective-Sergeant H. C. Murch said' that on April 8 a large quantity of betting materials was found on the premises in High Street, Lower Hutt, including two books which indicated that £67 17s in doubles and £43 6s 6d in bets had been taken. The total bets taken were over £400. One client alone had had bets totalling over £180 between mid-December and. January. Phillips, sen., had £130 in his possession. He had had three previous convictions, and Nelson Phillips had had two previous convictions for assisting. Mr. C. R. Barrett said that the business was done entirely on commission. The principal paid out any wins, and the agent had to stand any book losses. The amount of bad debts incurred was enormous. The odds were with the bettor all the time, because the bets were on credit usually, and in case of the bettor's loss, the bookmaker had no recourse in a court of law. "The Government, in encouraging gambling, it not carrying out the administration of the law," said Mr. Barrett. "The bettors should be prosecuted with the bookmakers. The big men never' come before the Court either, only a few hairdressers acting as *The Magistrate commented that many men who committed breaches of the law were otherwise good ctiizens.: Nevertheless the law' provided for1 heavy penalties for this class of offence. George Phillips was fined £60, and Nelson Phillips £10. ANOTHER RAID. Horace Kenneth Skilton, a hair-j dresser, was charged. with keeping a i common gaming house, and William Green with assisting in the offence.. Detective-Sergeant Murch said that a raid had been carried out on the defendant Skilton's premises in High Street, Lower Hutt. As far as Green was concerned, there was no doubt that he assisted only in the absence of Skilton. The evidence was that £32 had been taken in- bets on racefe held that day (April 8). In this case there was nothing to show that the defendant Skilton was acting as an agent. He had been convicted on December 1. Mr. E. Rothwell said that the volume of betting could not be considered large. The cash on the premises had come also from legitimate business. Skilton had definitely suspended bookmaking operations, and did not intend to renew them. Skilton was fined £25, and Green £2 10s. ■'