POLICE COURT

Evening Star, Issue 22974, 3 June 1938, Page 7

POLICE COURT

FRIDAY, JUNE 3. (Before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M.) DRUNKENNESS. A first offender was fined £l, in default 24 hours’ imprisonment. GIVEN FURTHER CHANCE. ‘VThere was no suggestion of premeditation —he acted ,on a sudden impulse and took the money,” said Mr O. G. Stevens on behalf of J ames Roy Johnsfon Lawrie (25), who admitted a charge of stealing 30s from Ernest John Buttar and others. Chief-detective Young told the court that the complainant was part proprietor'of a taxi depot at the Gardens. The sum mentioned was stolen from there, and suspicion turned on the accused. He was located yesterday, and admitted the theft. Lawrie; then had 2s 2d in his possession, having spent the remainder of the 30s. He had been employed by the Motorists’ Protection Association, but, in view of his record and the number, of thefts that had been reported recently, he was . not a-desir-able person to be engaged in this sort of work. However, he was quite frank about this affair.’ The Chief Detective added thiif, in fairness to the accused, he tvould ‘say that there was no evidence that he had committed any other thefts. Since he was discharged from the Borstal in 1935 he had worked in various parts of the country as a farm labourer. Ho had been before t|ie court on two previous occasions, and on each received terms of two years in the Borstdl; He was weak, rather than criminal.

Mr Stevens pointed ont that if anything were stolen' from the cars watched hy the Protection Association that' would mean a claim against the association. . After a consultation with the_ probation officer the Magistrate decided to give Lawrie another chance, and admitted him to probation for 12 months, conditional upon his making restitution of the 30s. CHIMNEYS ON FIRE. Walter Henry Lacey was convicted and discharged on a charge of allowing a - chimney to catch fire. Alfred Mitchell was fined 10s and costs.' UNLICENSED RADIO. Rachel Boss was convicted without penalty for operating an unlicensed radio. CYCLISTS FINED. Ruby Grubb was convicted and discharged on charges of riding an unlighted bicycle and of using a machine that did not have its rear mudguard painted white, Frederick William Mark Hobbs was fined 10s and costs for riding an unlighted cycle, and David Alexander Mutch and Harold M'Lean were both ordered to pay costs of 10s. MOTORISTS’ OFFENCES. James David Frederick Rose, charged with dangerous driving as a sequel to passing a tra’m at 30 miles an hour on the off-side,, was fined £2 and costs. William Wilson Lament was fined £2 and costs for failing to keep to the left of the road. Stewart John Hill was convicted and discharged on charges of driving without a license and without lights. Roy William Hessey, who parked his car at a cable tram stop, was fined 10s and costs. John Patricik Kearney was similarly dealt with. Alexander Charles Perriam was fined £1 and costs for exceeding the limit of 25 miles an hour allowed for his heavy traffic vehicle. Stephen Verne Johnston, who crossed intersections on the Anderson’s Bay road -at between 40 and 45 miles an hour, was fined £2 and costs'. Harold Wellesley Austin, who used a motor cycle without a silencer, was fined £1 and • costs. Donald Patrick, an unlicensed driver, was convicted and discharged.

Ronald Mark Davis, charged with driving without a license and without due care and attention, was convicted and discharged on both counts. Donald Edward Thomson, charged with operating an unlighted car and with dangerous driving, was convicted and discharged. Richard Jack Eccles and John William Turnbull were each fined 10s and costs for operating cars without warrants of fitness. Norman Ashmore M'Leod. a motor cyclist, was similarly dealt with, and Arthur James Jordan was convicted and ordered to pay 10s costs. Charged with failing to report a motor. accident, Frederick William Wedlake was fined 10s and costs 110 s). Gordon John Brophy was fined 30s and costs (18s) for driving without due care and attention. A similar charge was brought against James Dominic Curran, and. after evidence had been board, was dismissed.