POLICE COURT

Evening Star, Issue 21504, 31 August 1933, Page 6

POLICE COURT

THURSDAY, AUGUST 31. (Before Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M.) DRUNKENNESS. A statutory first offender, James M'Gregor Smith, was fined 10s, in default twenty-four hours’ imprisonment. DISORDERLY BEHAVIOUR. Andrew Reid Patterson pleaded guilty to charges of disorderly behaviour and using obscene language. Senior-sergeant Mac Lean said that at 7.30 last night a constable saw the accused at the Grand Hotel corner waving his arms about and apparently annoying passers-by. The constable advised him to go home, but he refused, and the constable found it necessary to arrest him. Ho went quietly for a short distance, but then dropped some parcels he was carrying, and struck the constable a blow in the face. Another constable came on the scene, and it was then that the language was used, some of it being addressed to women who were passing by. The accused had been before the court previously. The accused said he had not had any drink for a month, but yesterday he had a cold and had a few rums and cloves. On the charge of disorderly behavour Patterson was fined 20s, in default forty-eight hours’ imprisonment, ‘ On the obscene language charge he was fined £2 or seven days’ imprisonment. SIX MONTHS’ IMPRISONMENT. David Walter Lowen was charged with obtaining from Sydney Cooper Jenkinson a leather overcoat valued at £3 12s 6d and £8 13s in money by falsely representing that a cheque drawn on the Bank of New Zealand at Palmerston and purporting to he signed by John Spencer, for the amount of £l2 5s 6d, was a good and valid order for that amount. He was further charged witli stealing nine cheque forms valued at Is Gd, the property of the Otago Education Board. To each charge he pleaded guilty. Chicf-detective Young said that on August 11 a man called at the complainant’s shop and purchased a leather overcoat, tendering a cheque for £l2 5s 6d. The cheque was not signed, hut it was accepted by the shopkeeper, who gave the man £8 13s in change. Ine cheque was paid into the hank in tho ordinary way, and was returned because it was unsigned and because there was not that amount in the Palmerston schedule. Inquiries were made by Detective Taylor, and it was ascertained that nine cheques had been stolen from a cheque book. The accused was interviewed. and he admitted the offences. The overcoat was recovered. Chief-detective Young said he could not understand how the complainant came to cash the cheque, because at was written in a schoolboy’s hand and was unsigned. The accused had been before the court in 1932 on a number . of charges of burglary and housebreaking, wlien he w r as admitted to probation tor two years. In July of last y ear i 1 01 theft, he received a term of three months’ imprisonment. He was at present on probation, and the probation officer at Palmerston said he had reported regularly. He was m casual employment on a chaffeutter when arrested. None of the money had been recovered. • e The Magistrate said that in view of the man’s record he would he sentenced to six months’ imprisonment with hard labour, and to one month’s imprisonment on the other charge.