POLICE COURT

Evening Star, Issue 21007, 22 January 1932, Page 10

POLICE COURT

p—— FRIDAY, JANUARY 22. (Before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M.) SERIOUS CHARGES PENDING. Harold Gordon Kindley was charged with unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl fourteen years of age at Waihola on June 15, 1931. . . Detective-sergeant Nuttall asked for a week’s remand. On the question of bail, he said other serious charges would be preferred against Kindley, who had made threats to the girl and her brothers, who were in fear of their lives. Accused had threatened to cut out their tongues. Counsel for accused asked for bail. Accused was a married man with four children, and resided in the same district as the complainant. ' The remand was granted. The Magistrate said that in view of the statements of the police it would he improper for him to consider granting bail without giving the police an opportunity of substantiating the statements. Bail was declined in the meantime. IMPRISONED FOR THEFT.

Pleas of guilty were entered by Wm. Scott to the thefts of a hat valued at 15s and an overcoat, valued at £4, the property of Wilden Acton-Adams, on New Year’s Eve. Detective-sergeant Nuttall said the accused was sentenced on January 3 to three weeks’ imprisonment on a charge of theft, when the present charges were adjourned. Another hat and overcoat were missing from the hotel at the same time, and accused had given no assistance in recovering the property. Accused said he knew nothing about the other missing property. All the goods he had stolen had been returned. On the charge of theft of an overcoat, Scott was sentenced to fourteen days’ imprisonment. On the other charge he was convicted and discharged. YOUTHS IN TROBULE. '

Two youths, seventeen and nineteen years of age, pleaded guilty to the theft of an aeroplane motor car mascot, valued at £1 l/s 6d. Detective-sergeant Nuttall stated that the two accused, on observing an open garage, had gone in and removed the mascot from the owner’s car. Both had been before the Children’s Court once, but, apart from that, there was nothing known against them. He suggested that, in view of all the circumstances, His Worship might con- ' sider placing them under strict supervision. Counsel for one of the accused described the offence as merely a silly one. Having taken into consideration a favourable report on the youths’ behaviour under previous supervision, His Worship adjourned the case against the nineteen-year-old accused for two years, the accused to be under the supervision of the probation officer. ,The case against the other youth was also adjourned for two years, the accused to be placed under the supervision of the child welfare officer. The elder accused was ordered not to drive a car without the approval of the probation officer. The names were suppressed. FIRE ARMS ACT OFFENCES. Arthur Edward Pedlow was charged ■with being in possession of a firearm without a permit, and also with shooting imported game (grey ducks) with the rifle. Sub-inspector Cameron said it was not suggested that defendant had killed any ducks. - On both charges Pedlow was conyicted and fined court costs (10s). On a charge of delivering a firearm without a license, James Stewart Robson was convicted and ordered to pay = costs (12s). TWO MEN CHARGED. Edward Albert Bridger and Gordon Mackay were charged with stealing at jWaitati a motor truck rim, tyre, and inner tube, of a total value of £2, the property of Mary Ann Jobson. Only Bridger appeared, and the magistrate issued a warrant for Machay’s arrest., the warrant not to be used if the police are satisfied that the accused will appear. Cecil Roger Jobson, labourer, of Upper Waitati, stated that his mother owned a light delivery van. Prior to October 11 he towed it out to Waitati, the chassis being broken, and left it outside an, engine and saw-mill plant at a creek crossing. When he examined the truck on September 16 the tyres were intact. Shortly after noon on the following day, however, he went to the truck again and found that the back tyre and rim, on the driving side bad been removed. Witness knew Gordon whose brother-in-law had been working on his mother’s place for some time. The tyre (produced) was similar to the one that was removed, but the rim (produced) was not the one taken off the van. Witness did not known the accused Bridger. To counsel; Mackay bad been working on his own account cutting manuka at a neighbour’s place. William Wells Waldren, a farmer, residing at Waitati, said that at about ,7 p.m. on September 16 he saw a car go in the direction of where the truck was. At the time he thought it was Bridger’s car, and he bad the impression that Bridger and Mackay were the occupants. To counsel: He could not swear that there were two men in the car, but he thought that there were. A this stage the case was adjourned till January 29 in order to allow the second accused to appear. THEFT OF COPPER ALLEGED. William Townshend Harvey was charged with stealing 9cwt of copper cable, valued at £33, the property of the Dunedin City Corporation. , In asking for a remand till Monday, Detective-sergeant Nuttall said it was a similar case to one which would also be heard on that day. Tho police bad now almost two tons of this stolen material in their keeping. The accused, a married man with five children, had given the police every assistance. Bail was allowed in the sum of £25 (accused’s own recognisance), the accused to report daily to the police. NEW YEAR’S EVE “ CELEBRATION.” John M‘Curdy pleaded not guilty to using obscene language in the bar of the Bay View Hotel on New Year’s Eve. Charles George Mountney, a barman, said M'Curdy was boisterous and was annoying another man. M'Curdy was spoken to, and used the language to the barman. Accused also placed a £5 note on the counter and challenged tho barman to fight. To Accused: While M'Curdy was reciting a man named Bell struck him playfully and hit his hard hat. He did not hear someone say to the barman; “ You mongrel, to hit an old man,” but he saw the barman push M'Curdy. Herbert _ Charles Mountney, the licensee, said he had asked M'Curdy to behave_ in a proper manner. M'Curdy was quiet for a time, and then used tho language to the barman and threatened the barman to “ pop him for a fiver.” Both witness and the barman again spoke lo M'Curdy, who broke out again, ps a result of jvhich tho barman struck

him when attacked. M'Curdy said he had had enough “hiding,” but again rushed at the barman, who had to defend himself. Witness took M'Curdy to the bathroom and bathed his bleeding nose. To M'Curdy: Accused was the aggressor. He did not see a man seize the barman and throw him into the bar.

David Henry Hill, a striker, said he was employed as a barman at the hotel on New Year’s Eve. He gave M'Curdy no provocation to use the language. '('o Accused: The language had provoked him to attempt to evict accused forcibly. The bar was full, and accused was behaving like a lunatic. Constable Shruffer gave evidence that one would not need to speak loudly in the private bar to be heard by customers in the public bar, M'Curdy made a statement that if any bad language was used, it was after he was struck, He did not remember using the language. Up to the time he was assaulted no angry words had been spoken. He was the “lamb.” He had never been in court before. The Magistrate said he would take into consideration the facts that the the occurrence was on New Year’s Eve and that the language was used only to the barman. Accused had suffered punishment, as his nose was damaged and lie was given two black eyes. The charge would be dismissed. M'Curdy was a man of an excitable nature, and he was advised to bear no ill-feeling to the other witnesses. BY-LAW BREACHES. Ellen Martha Gilchrist was fined 5s and costs for being an unlicensed driver of a motor car. For cycling without a light, Charles Albert Jarvis was fined 5s and costs. Alexander Marshall Patterson was fined 40s and costs for passing a stationary tramcar. An unlighted motor car cost Harry Neville Shrimpton 5s and costs. “He approached an intersection at thirty miles an hoqr,” stated Sub-in-spector Cameron in regard to Henry William Waugh, who was fined 30s and costs on a charge of dangerous driving.