POLICE COURT

Evening Star, Issue 17720, 22 July 1921, Page 5

POLICE COURT

Friday, July 22.

(Bofcxo Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M.)

AFTER THE SOCIAL.

:A “bit of fun” after a social at the Y.M.C.A. landed’ two young fellows in trouble. According to ConYab’e Watt (who, owing to complaints of mischief, was specially on the watch), half a dozen young men came into Carroll street at 11.15 p.m. on June 23. and one of them, after looking through a broken panel in the door of No. 5, stood back and deliberately put his foot through the other panel The mem then ran away, but the constable stopped three—two M’Donald* and Chaney. They gave falre names, but. rectified this later at the police station, where they also said that they had met MTvor at the Fountain, and ho asked them to go up Carroll street to have some fun with a Chinaman.

The young fellows charged were Harold Linden M'Tvor and Frederick Jbhn G'hanoy. and while the former p’eaded guilty, the latter, through Mr Axelsen, said ho was not guilty, for though with MTvor at the time, he did not touch the door. Inspector Murray explained that the two M'Donalds had not been summoned because they had gone away to work in the, country. It would appear that, all these young men had been to a social at the T.M.C.A., and met afterwards at the Fountain tor more fun. If necessary, the M'Donalds would 'be brought back and charged. The Magistrate: Would that carry the matter further than has been clone in Chaney’s case? The Inspector: I don’t think so. _ The Magistrate: Toll, there is not sufficient evidence to identify Chaney with MTvor’s act. The case against him will be dismissed. Mr Axe!sen said that MTvor had been placed under his control some time a ,T o, and had" behaved himself since. The youth could be managed, and he was prepared to place him in the country. Inspector Murray said defendant had been charged in November with theft, and convicted and ordered to come up Jor sentence if required. The Magistrate remarked that, in the circumstances, the defendant’s present escapade was that of a young larrikin, and it was stretching things to give him a further chance. However, in v-‘ew of what Mr -\xelsen had said, he would do this Defendant would be convicted and ordered to come up for sentence within two years, the conditions of the Probation Act to apply. Defendant would also have to pay the amount of the damage £3 os 3d) forthwith. NEGLIGENT DRIVING. William Thomas Waldron pleaded not guilty to a charge of negligently driving nis mo-tor car in Princes street on June 85. Mr J. B. Callan appeared for defendant. Constable/Hannafin said be noticed the car travelling south along Princes street past the Oval at a rate which witness considered approximated thirty miles an hour. At the intersection of the Main South road and Princes street a northbound car stopped and a man came out from behind it. Witness saw the motor pull up within about 50yds, and the man, who had been struck by the car, was lying on Die ground. The driver got out and assisted the man to his feet. As witness approached the driver got into his car and drove off. Witness took the man, whose name was John Roberts, to a seat on the Oval, and then rang up Dr Evans, who ordered his removal to the hospital. John James Roberts, carpenter, said that just as the tramrar started he walked round the back of it to go to the Oval. He was clear of both tram lines when he was struck by (he motor, but he could not say how far he was from the Oval side of the road. His right leg was struck. The driver got out and asked him how he was, and witness said he thought ■he would he all rigid if he had a seat. The constable (Tien assisted him to the neat on the Oval. Robert Griffiths, motonnnn, said he sow 6 motor car travelling south at between twenty-five or thirty miles an hour. He did not' actually see the accident happen, but saw Mr Waldren’s car stopped as his tramcar cam© near the points. Constable .M'Culloch read a statement made to him by defendant, who said he was travelling at between ten and twenty miles an hour. The man came out from behind a tramcar, and Waldren put on his brdkes and swerved to the right to avoid the man, but his off-side mudguards struck him. Before Waldren made the statement he had remarked that i;t was his left-hand mudguard, so that the term "off-side” in the statement was probably a mistake Mr Callan said that the defence was that the estimate of the speed given by the constable was excessive; that there was no reason for Waldren driving at excessive speed. .It would be suggested that the man Roberts was walking across the road in an oblique direction, with ?. southern tendency, and that he was not paying attention to the northern ' traffic. Defendant had swerved to the right in an endeavor to avoid hitting the man, and had then swung back to the left, which was the best'thing he could do. Defendant in his evidence said the statement that the car had skidded 50yds could not be correct; it must have been 30ft. Sis speed at the time would be from twelve to fifteen miles an hour. Donald Ross, taxi-driver, also gave evidence. The Magistrate said that the charge was one of negligent driving, and he did not , think there could be any doubt at all _on the matter. On. defendant’s own showing . it was clear he had not driven with the care and circumspection that he should bare used. Ho would be convicted and fined 40s, with costs (11s) and witnesses’ expenses (20s). CASE DISMISSED. James Rensbaw, for whom, Mr Hay appeared, was charged with being the father of an illegitimate child, affiliation and maintenance orders being asked for. The, complainant (Margaret Eva Buchanan, formerly Bruce), under crossexamination, admitted she had been before the court on a number of occasions, on one of which she had admitted having led an habitual immoral life._ Complainant also stated that she had lived with other men as well as with complainant After hearing further evidence for tho complainant the Magistrate said that ho would not cal! upon the defence —the case was quite hopeless. There was no "corroboration of tho complainant’s evidence, and even had there been so it was doubtful whether any credence could be . attached to it. The case would 1 be dismissed. AFTER HOURS. Edward James Pcattio. and Charles Reid, each, twenty-one years of age. pleaded guilty to being found on licensed premises after hours. Inspector Murray' said that two constables found the defendants in the Crown Hotel at 6.25 p.m. on July 12. They gave tho usual excuse—that they had gone in to use tho lavatory. Each defendant was fined 20s, with costs {4fl 6d). BREACH OF ORDER. Charles Robert Sims, who had been found bv two detectives on licensed premises during the currency of a prohibition order, was fined 20s ? with .costs (7s), in default seven days’ imprisonment, Senior Detective Kemp stating that defendant had been twice previously convicted, of a similar 6ffer.ee. . MAINTENANCE. Frank Scott, charged with disobedience of a maintenance order in respect to his wife, did not appear. Ho was sentenced to two weeks’ imprisonment, to be released on payment of tne arrears (£1 7s 6d).