SAUCE BOTTLE THROWN

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 April 1937, Page 2

SAUCE BOTTLE THROWN

PIE-CART DISTURBANCE Several visits to the pie-cart, at the Town Hall corner, early this morning, proved expensive for William MacKenzie and Hugh Wellesley Akehurst who were each fined £5 by Mr. Raymond Ferner S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court at Greymouth to-day, on charges of using obscene language. McKenzie, who is a native of New Zealand, aged 25, was charged that on April 16, at Greymouth, (1) while drunk in a public place, Tarapuhi Street, ,he did behave in a disorderly manner; (2) did assault David Henry Cleghorn; (3) did use obscene language. Akehurst, who is also a native of New Zealand, aged 26 years, was charged with behaving in a disorderly manner while drunk in a public place and with using obscene Janguage. Both accused pleaded guilty to all of the charges against them, and elected to be dealt with summarily. Senior-Sergeant E. Quayle said that the facts of the case were that last night Cleghorn, who was employed by the owner, Bourke, was in charge of the pie-cart. About 11.45 p.m. three men. of whom two were the accused, came into the pie-cart and ordered saveloys. Cleghorn told them that the saveloys would take a few minutes to heat, and he alleged that the accused Akehurst then said “Cut out the waiting!” Cleghorn said that if the men were going to talk like that he would not serve them at all. The third man was supplied with a pie and when Cleghorn refused to supply the other two, he said that jf they could not get served, he did not want his either, and Cleghorn took it back. With that, the accused MacKenzie picked up a sauce bottle and threw it at Cleghorn. The bottle hit the top of the door and broke, the sauce going all over another man who was waiting for a pie. If Cleghorn had not ducked, he would certainly have been injured by the bottle. Cleghorn said that a lot more bad language was used and the two accused returned again at 1.15 a.m. when bad language was again used by them. Akehurst wanted Cleghorn to come out and have a fight. About 2.40 a.m. Cleghorn was picking up the broken bottle from the road when he saw the accused again approaching and he rang the police. Constable Barr located them in Boundary Street, and iwhile he was talking to them there, Mrs. Preston came along and made a complaint that they had also been in her restaurant using bad language. They were not drunk, but. it did not seem that they would have acted in the manner that they did if they had not bad liquor. While they were in the pie-cart Akehurst was seen near the radiato'r and the cap was later found to be missing, while the key of the engine was bent. He could not say that the accused actually did those things, but it looked very much like it. Both were employed by the Public Works Department and had been in Greymouth only since March 10. They drew some £lO in wages yesterday, and when arrested Akehurst had 7/- and MacKenzie 19/3. Asked by the S.M. if he had anything to say, MacKenzie said, “I suppose it was only the drink that did it. I have never been in trouble before and it should be a good lesson to me.”

Akehurst said that all he had to say was practically the same as MacKenzie had said. The S.M. said that on the charge of using obscene -language each of the accused .was liable to 12 months’ imprisonment, with hard labour. It came down to the fact that the accused got a substantial cheque, came into town and got brawling around, causing other people all manner of trouble. He had already pointed out to them that they were liable to twelve months’ imprisonment on one charge, and on the others were liable to three and two months’ respectively. He said that, as he wanted them to appreciate what they had walked into through their indiscretions. He did not want to send them to prison, although he thought many magistrates would do so, but he did intend to inflict a sharp penalty, which they would have to take as a serious warning that conduct of the kind could not be permitted in the town. Each would be fined £5 on the charge of. using obscene language, and convicted and discharged on the remaining charges. ' j. A fortnight was allowed for the payment of the fines.