FINES OF £50

Evening Post, Issue 71, 20 September 1941, Page 6

FINES OF £50

SLY-GROG CASES

MAGISTRATE'S WARNING

The Courts would see that sly grogselling was made unprofitable, said Mr J. L. Stout, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, when he imposed fines of £50 each upon Leslie Hugh Arnott, John Patrick Behan, and Leslie William Gibbons, all of whom pleaded guilty to selling liquor without a licence, and a fine of £10 upon Gustavus Stephen Parsons, who also pleaded guilty to that offence. j Sub-Inspector G. H. Lambert said that Arnott occupied a confectionery i shop in Rugby Street. A constable bought a bottle of beer there The police searched the place, being told by Arnott that he had some beer tor his private use. "The defendant has been doing a large trade for a considerable time," said Mr. Lambert. "He has been very crafty and has supplied liquor only to his own customers, it has been very difficult for the police to get in contact with him." Police inquiries had revealed that in the last six months there had been delivered to the place 231 dozen bottle? of ale. 19 dozen bottles of stout, besides sherry, whisky, gin, and brandy Arnott had not previously been before a Court. Mr, F. W. Ongley said there was t.iothing he could say by way of excuse. CLUB FOR SEAMEN. Behan and Gibbons, said Mr. Lam-, bert, occupied part of premises in Featherston Street, and people had been seen leaving it showing signs of liquor Police constables boughl beer there, and when the place was search ed about 70 men and women were on the premises, which was furnished with settees, chesterfields, armchairs, and tables. A quant ty oi beer was found on the premises and also a large number of empty bottles, 314 being beer bottles and 56 sherry bottles. Behan told the police he was trying to establish a club for the entertainment of men from overseas ships. "They wrere conducting a sly-grog uusiness on a large scale and are continuing to do so. They ape still at it," said bMr. Lambert. ! J Mr. G..C. Kent denied the latter statement and explained that Behan an the club, and Gibbons helped him as a friend. Behan was a former seaman and he had established the club to cater for the entertainment of "an almost forgotten class of men, the men from overseas ships." The Magistrate said he thought the club explanation was a smokescreen and that the case was one of sly grogselling. LESSER PENALTY. Regarding Parsons Mr. Lambert said that the police had bought from him two bottles of beer at a place in Willis Street. He had previously been convicted of a similar offence, for which he had been sentenced to imprisonment. Mr. Joseph said thai Parsons had been two days out of gaol when the police trapped him into -selling them two bottles of beer, which was part of the liquor in respect of which he 'iad previously been charged. The Magistrate said he did not think there was anything wrong in what the police did, but as the police said that Parsons had given up the practice he "Would not impose a severe penalty.