POLICE COURT

Evening Star, Issue 23270, 19 May 1939, Page 2

POLICE COURT

FRIDAY, MAY 19, (Before Dir H. W. Bundle, S.M.) DRUNKENNESS. Making bis twenty-fifth appearance before tne court, Janies Gordon Bennett, a statutory first offender, for drunkenness, was fined 10s, in default 24 hours’ imprisonment. SLEEPING IN RAILWAY WAGON. Percy Walker Curr was charged with being a rogue and vagabond in that fie bad no lawful means of support, having previously been convicted ni Wellington in 1933. , , . The accused was lound sleeping in ■i railway wagon under a tarpaulin at Ravcnsbourne last night, stated Seniorsergeant Claasen. He had been sleeping out at Maia and St. Leonards in railway wagons for a week past, and complaints bad been made by tho Railway Department. The accused was a native of Liverpool, and was 32 years did you come to* New Zealand? ” the Magistrate asked the accused. , , . “ 1 paid my fare out. l.hovo no relatives here,” replied tho accused. He told the magistrate that he had been in camps in the North Island and had come south a month ago. He had casual work on the way. The accused was remanded in custody for a week to enable inquiries to be made concerning him. The Magistrate said that hi the meantime he would hold over the plea of accused, who had already pleaded guilty. THEFT BY YOUNG MARRIED WOMAN. “ This was a particularly mean and despicable theft from a woman in.poor circumstances, even though the accused was also in poor circumstances, said the Magistrate in respect of a young married woman who was represented bj Mr W. M’Alevey, and , who entered a plea of guilty to the theft on May 3 and on dates between then and May 9 'of money and clothing of a total value of £3 Bs. . Detective-sergeant Hall told the court that the accused was a married woman, 27 years of age, and explaining the circumstances, said that the complainant had rooms from the accused. On three occasions complainant missed £1 from her purse, and she also found on one occasion that a number of articles had been taken from her bedroom. When the accused was interviewed by the police she denied the offences at first, but when some dress material was found in a cupboard, in her room she admitted the theft of £2 in money and goods. The complainant was left in dire want through the thefts by this woman. Mr M'Alevey said that the case was a most distressing one. The accused had agreed to make restitution by giving tho complainant rooms, rentfree, for two weeks. She was a woman of unblemished character previously, and had suffered considerably waiting for the trial to take place. In view of the accused’s history and record, the Magistrate said she would be convicted and admitted to probation for 12 months. In her 1 own interests and in the circumstances he thought he was’ justified in acceding to counsel s request that publication of the name ■should be .prohibited, and an order was made accordingly. CHARGE OF FRAUD. Thomas DU Neill was charged with incurring a debt of £9 10s for taxi hire with the South End Taxi Company Ltd., and that he obtained this credit bv means of fraud. "Mr C. J. L. White, who represented the accused, said that the accused hnd been arrested last night. Counsel added that he had interviewed accused’s father, and arrangements had been made for restitution. As the question of restitution was considered by Mr White to be of importance, he asked that the ease he adjourned to enable M’Neill to make arrangements to that end before sentence was imposed. It was considered that the accused should be given a term on Roto Roa Island, as he was a heavy drinker. M'Neill was remanded until Dlay 29, and bail was granted in his own recognisance of £2O. ASSAULT CHARGE. Donald DU Gregor Thompson was convicted and discharged on a charge of assault, tho case having been adjourned from April 14 to allow the defendant to pay certain costs. A CASE DISMISSED. In view of the provisions of the Justice of tho Peace Act relating to the charge, the Dlagistrate said he was unable to find that the accused had committed theft, and accordingly dismissed the charge against William Trevor Rule of the theft of pigeons. A conviction, added His Worship, would not be_ justified. The case was heard last Friday, the accused appearing on remand. CYCLIST FINED. For riding unlighted bicycles Dave Mackio and Jack Steffens were each fined 5s and costs. CHARGES AGAINST DIOTORISTS. A charge of failing to keep to the left of the roadway led to Frederick Henry Challis being fined 40s and costs. An adjourned charge of dangerous driving was heard against Jack Henry Guthrie, it being intimated to the magistrate that the defendant had attended classes since the previous hearing. Guthrie was convicted and discharged. Jan Thomas Kelly was fined £3 and costs for riding a motor cycle at St. Kilda in a manner dangerous to the public. Edmond Charles Brown, who was charged with being an unlicensed motor driver and with having no warrant of fitness, was convicted and discharged on the former charge and fined 10s and costs on the other charge. For parking over a fire plug William Henry Brarawell was fined 5s and costs. Archibald Fraser was fined 20s and oosts for failing to stop at the signal of a traffic inspector, and for driving an unlighted motor vehicle lie was convicted and discharged. “ In the interests of his own safety the. pedestrian stopped when he saw this car approaching at a fast speed,” said a traffic inspector in respect of Arthur Thomas Harvey, who was charged with failing to yield right of way at a crossing. A fine of 10s and costs was imposed. Thomas Michael Knudson was convicted and discharged for operating a car without a warrant of fitness. George Lloyd was fined 40s and costs for exceeding a speed of 25 miles per hour. Horace Soymoure Sparrow (Dfr I). A Solomon), n taxi driver, was fined 30s and costs, and Joseph Dlessenes

Simmons (Mr .1. G. Warrington) £2 and costs for driving without care and attention. Patience Purvis, who was charged with having no warrant of fitness and with being an unlicensed motor driver, was fined 10s and costs on the former charge and 5s (no costs) on the other. Motorists were fined as follows for exceeding speeds of 30 miles per hour: Francis Ward and Leonard Hooker, 20s and costs; Aldwyn Marshall and George M'Crae, 30s and costs. For having no warrant of fitness Alan Nordeu Clark was fined 20s and costs. Fines of 10s and costs were imposed on the following motorists who did not have warrants of fitness: —Alfred Eggleston. Gordon Michael Idour, Eric Stuart Miller, Philip Edward Ruston, William O’Fee, Edward Henry Young, and David Morley. Charlie York was fined 30s and costs for exceeding a speed of 25 miles per hour.