HOTEL RAIDED

Evening Star, Issue 20316, 26 October 1929, Page 25

HOTEL RAIDED

"»>+ AFTER-HOURS TRADING A KOVEL RUSE fPss United Purs. AssociatiomA WELLINGTON, October 25. As a sequel to a recent police raid, Falkiier, the licensee of the Albert) Hotel, was charged _ with selling liquor after hours, with aiding and assisting others in the offence of being found on licensed premises after hours, and with failing to admit the police without unnecessary delay. Informations of allowing liquor to be consumed in the hotel after hours, exposing liquor for sale after hours, and opening the hotel for sale after hours were withdrawn, The barman, Jack O’Brien, had six informations preferred against him. Five of these wore withdrawn and he was only charged with selling liquor after hours. Sub-inspector Lander, outlining tho case, said the police had reason to believe that the licensee had set himself out to carry on illegal trade by watching the movements of the uniform police. On keeping a watch it had been found as a fact that trade was being carried on, men being lot in at a side door when all was clear. Sometimes the licensee himself would he out on the footpath mingling with other men and watching the police. On the night of the raid the licensee himself was letting men in. Sub-inspector Lander said the police knocked vainly for twenty minutes, and eventually a constable pushed open a balcony window and found the licensee and his wife and child in bed, but a torch showed that the room was full of men. The licensee instructed the barman, who was also in the room, to go down and let the police in. The licensee tried to say he did not know that the police were knocking, and tried to shoulder all the blame on to tho barman. Falkner was fined £lO for selling liquor after hours, £5 for failing to ad- ' mit tho police, and £3 on the aiding charge. The two convictions were endorsed on his license. O’Brien was fined £lO. Fourteen men, who were on the premises, were each fined £2. i On the same night Barrett’s Hotel was visited by a police sergeant. Seven men who were found with glasses of liquor in front of them could not satisfactorily explain their presence, and each was fined £lO, The charges against the licensee and a porter were adjourned for a week, the police not opposing the applica tion.