MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 January 1928, Page 2

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

A VARIED CHARGE LIST. More than the usual variety of charges, some of them being of a seri ous nature, were dealt with by Mr W. Meldrum, S.M., at to-day’s sitting of the Greymouth Court. Senior Sergeant C. E. Roach and Detective H. C. Murch represented the police.

SERIOUS CHARGE POSSIBLE. Whn Francis Joseph Ruane appeared on remand, in custody, charged with atempting to commit suicide at Dobson on January 7, Detective H. C. Murch applied for a further remand until January 23. Mr W. J. Joyce, on behalf of ao cused, applied for bail. Detective Murch : Thei’e is a likelihood of a charge of attempted murder being preferred. Mr Joyce said he understood that another adjournment would be applied for at the end of the week. Detective Murch explained that accused was a miner employed at Dobson. His wife and daughter were frightened of him at present, and there did not seem any possibility of them living with him again. The man seemed all right at present, but the charge was serious. Until exhibits were returned by the Government Analyst, the police were not in a position to prefer the attempted murder charge. Air Joyce said that accused had been a resident of the Dobson district all his life and had relatives there. Nothing was previously known against him. The S.M. granted the remand, and allowed bail in self £lOO and two sureties, of £5O each. ADMITTED TO PROBATION. John James McGifford (Mr W. J. Joyce) was charged that, at Roa on May 30, 1924, he stole £9 Is 2d, the property of Edward Joseph Moore. The Senior-Sergeant stated that, at the time of the alleged offence, accused was working at Roa, and was asked to collect Moore’s pay for him. He collected and signed for the pay, but then “cleared out,” and his arrest was not effected until last week, when he was apprehended at Lyttelton. Mi’ Joyce, on behalf of accused, said that the latter had got drunk after receiving the money. Some of his friends in Canterbury were willing to refund the amount. Mr Joyce requested that accused be admited to probation.

The Senior-Sergeant stated that there was nothing previously known against accused. As Probation Officer, he did not object to probation being extended. Expenses had been incurred by bringing accused from Lyttelton, and maintaining him in gaol since totalling £1 17s. The S.M. admitted accused to probation for twelve months, and ordered him to report himself monthly at Lyttelton ; also to pay the costs incurred. In doing so, he stated that the cause of the offence had probably been the amount of liquor consumed by accused after he collected the money. That, however, was no excuse for him not having repaid Moore. His previous good record had been taken into account. IN THE COOK’S ROOM? Kate Russell; licensee of the Park Hotel (represented by Mr W. J. Joyce) pleaded guilty to selling liquor’ after hours on December 3. /

Mr Joyce explained that defendant was now in hospital at Dunedin, and was unlikely to return to Greymouth for some time. The plea of guilty to one charge was entered, subject to the police withdrawing two other charges (opening for sale of liquor, and aiding and abetting in an offence). This was agreed to by the SeniorSergeant. He stated that Sergeant J. Smyth and two constables visited the hotel, and after a delay of about two minutes, the door was opened by the defendenat. The bar was closed, and everything appeared to be in order. However, acting on information he had received, the Sergeant insisted upon the door of a certain room being opened. Defendant objected, on the ground that it was the cook’s room. Finally, the door, which was locked on the inside, was opened, and eleven men were discovered in the room, and had liquor with them. The men were all convicted and fined at last Monday’s sitting of the Court, on charges of being unlawfully on the premises. Defendant had one previous conviction, having been fined £1 on February 14 last, for failing to admit the police. • Mr Joyce stated that defendant, a niddw, was the owner of the hotel. She had been in the hotelkeeping business for thirteen years, and had only once been convicted. The hotel had been well conducted, but it was unfortunate that, ,since the marriage of defendant’s daughter, many duties had devolved upon the barman. The S.M. convicted defendant, and imposed a fine of £3, with 10s costs.

JUVENILE COURT. , At a sitting of the Juvenile Court, two brothers pleaded guilty to a charge of wilfully damaging telephone insulators at Greymouth. The father of the' boys was ordered to pay £l, the amount of the damage. Three 16-year-old boys were charged with indecently assaulting a 15-year-old girl at Blaketown on December 21, and were represented by Mr W. J. Joyce, the prosecution being conducted by Detective Murch. The Court was cleared during the hearing of the case, which is proceeding.