POLICE COURT

Evening Star, Issue 24002, 29 September 1941, Page 6

POLICE COURT

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29. (Before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M.) THEFT OF PETROL, Pacing two charges of theft of petrol and one of dangerous driving, _ a boy who celebrates his eighteenth birthday to-morrow appeared in the Police Court to-day. Mr I. L. Turnbull, who represented the accused, entered a plea of guilty on all charges. Chief-detec-tie Holmes, who conducted the prosecution in regard to the theft charges, said that prior to September 13 he had been employed by a fish company. On that date, a Saturday, he had returned to the premises at 6.30 p.m. with a car registered in his mother’s name, climbed the wall, opened the gate, driven the car into the yard, and siphoned two gallons of benzine from his employer’s truck and one, gallon from another vehicle in the yard. He had not previously been before the court. The charge of dangerous driving related to him takiug_a short cut through a service station in the north end at an excessive speed. Mr Turnbull pointed out that the lad had been fatherless for five years, and his recklessness was probably due to the fact that ho had insufficient guidance at home. He -was due to go into camp at Forbury Park to-morrow. He asked that the lad’s name be suppressed. . ' “It is with very considerable hesi tation that I make an order for the suppression of the name,” said the Magistrate. “It is a most despicable theft.” The accused was placed on probation for a period of two years. Restitution of 7s 7Jd was ordered. On the charge of dangerous driving he was convicted and fined £l, and prohibited from driving for two years. “ That is. until you get more sense,” commented the Magistrate.

INDECENT EXPOSURE, John Henry Ferguson was convicted on a charge of indecent exposure. The offence took place in the entrance of a well-known Dunedin restaurant. On the same type of charge. Chief-detective Holmes explained, Ferguson had faced the court three times previously, with a total of five charges, one of which concerned the same complainant in the present case. He was a married man with two children. At the time he had in no way been affected with drink. “As far as I can see, there are no mitigating circumstances,” was the remark of the prosecution. In 1939 Ferguson had been placed on probation for five years. Consequently, today he faced also a charge of breaking a probation order. On the major charge, accused was convicted and ordered to undergo reformative detention for 12_ months. For the breach of his probation order he was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment. UNLAWFULLY ON PREMISES. Gordon Logan and Frederick George Lester wero found unlawfully on the premises of a private hotel at 4.30 p.m. last Saturday. Logan faced an additional charge of theft and Lester one of assault. The facts as outlined by the police were that the two men were seen going up the stairs of the hotel. The manager followed and discovered them in a room. Lester struck him and attempted to make good his escape. Logan was later discovered iq another room with articles in his possession owned by another man. A pocket knife was mentioned, but there were also packets of cigarettes which could not be identified. Both men had a bad list.

They were each sentenced to two months’ imprisonment on the charge of being unlawfully on the premises, and a conviction was entered on each of the other charges.