SHIPPING CONTROL

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20487, 22 February 1941, Page 7

SHIPPING CONTROL

BREACH OF REGULATIONS FISHING-BOAT OWNER £lO FINE IMPOSED (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, this day. The owner of a fishing boat which he operates single-handed, Mr. D. H. Whitelaw, who has caused warning shots to be fired from the battery at North Head more than once since the outbreak of war. appeared in the Pope* Court yesterday to plead guilty to a breach of the shipipng control emergency regulations. Mr. R. Meredith, prosecuting on behalf of the. Naval authorities, said that Whitelaw anchored his launch in a prohibited area in the Rangitoto Channel. The examination boat went over, but Whitelaw refused to shift. A shot was fired, and the examination vessel again went out to the launch. Whitelaw, from his dinghy, cut the tow line when his launch was taken in tow by the examination vessel. Eventually an armed guard went out and brought Whitelaw to the naval base. Mr. Meredith added that Whitelaw had given the authorities trouble on seven occasions. He had been fired on several times, but that seemed to make little difference. Whitelaw, in a lengthy statement to the magistrate. Mr. J. Morling, said that he never intended to defy or disobey the regulations. “The regulations have to be obeyed,” said the magistrate, in fining Whitelaw £lO and warning him that any further trouble would be severely dealt with.