COURT NEWS.

Grey River Argus, 17 January 1928, Page 6

COURT NEWS.

i JUVENILE COURT. Youths Committed for Trial. Mr W. MNdrum, S.M., was occupied at the Juvenile Court for several hon-s yesterday with a case in which; three boys, all of the age of sixteen years, were charged with having on Decern. her 21st, committed at the Blaketown beach an indecent assault on a girl of the age of fifteen years. Air W. J. Joyce represented the accused, while Detective Murch conducted the prosecution. The Court was cleared during the hearing of the case. At the conclusion of the evidence the three accused, who pleaded not guilty and reserved their defence, were committed for trial at the next sitting of the Supreme Court, they being released from custody on lheir parents under taking responsibility for lheir custody mean I i me, io which course the police

raised no objection. LICENSEE FINED. Two out of three informations which the police had laid against the licensee of the Park Hotel (Mrs K. Russell) were yesterday withdrawn at the Magistrate’s Court, while a plea of guilty was entered to the third, namely, one of selling liquor after hours on December 3rd. Mr W. J. Joyce, for the defence, said the defendant was absent at present, being on a visit to Otago ’ district, and M ould probably not return for some time. Subject to Hie withdrawal of the charges of opening the hotel for the sale of liquor, and that of aiding and abetting others in an offence, a plea of guilty was being entered on the charge of selling after hours. The Magistrate remarked that as gards the count of aiding and abetting, there was involved a legal point, apart from questions of fact. Senior Sergeant Roach, who appeared for the prosecution, said if the plea of guilty were entered on the selling count, it appeared that that would meet Ihe case. He said that on December 3rd Sergeant J. Smythe and two constables visited the hotel, where they saw a man whom they regarded as a lookout. The door was opened, after about a couple of minutes, by the defendant, after the police had heard shuffling inside. They found the bar closed, with no signs of trading, and all appeared to be in order. Acting, however, upon information which he had received, Hie Sergeant insisted that the licensee give him entry to a certain room, to which defendant objected, on the ground that the room was the cook’s. Finally, however, he prevailed on her to agree, and the door, which had been locked on the inside, was opened, when eleven men were found in Hie room, all of whom had be n convicted at the Court sitting of Hie previous Monday on the charge of b"ing on licensed premises a; an illegal hour. There was only one previous conviction against defendant of failing to admit the police on February 14th. last, when a line of £1 wa.Air Joyce said that defendant, a widow, was Hie owner of the hotel, ami during the thirty years which she ha! beer, engaged in the liotclkceping business there had been only the one conviction against her. The hotel was well conducted, and was used by the travelling public. The Magistrate, in. entering a con. viction, imposed a fine of £3, with 16s costs. : k - • -, i ATTEMPTED SUICIDE CHARGE. Francis Joseph Ruano, of Dobson, was charged that on January 7th he attempted to commit suicide at Dobson. Detective Murch asked the case to be further remanded until January 23. Mr W. J. Joyce, who appeared for the accused, said he had been in custody for over a week, and asked that the Court fix bail. Detective Murch said that there was the likelihood of a more serious charge, one of attempted murder, might be preferred against the accused.

Mr Joyce said he understood that at - the end of another week, a further adjournment would be asked. Detective Murch said the accused was a miner employed at Dobson. His wife, an J daughter were now frightened of him, and he did not think there was any possibility of his going backi again to live with them. Accused seemed at present to be alright, but | there was a serious charge possible., The police were awaiting the return I fiom the Government Analyst of exhibits that had been sent for analysis, and until these arrived the police were not in a position to prefer a charge of attempted murder. Mr Joyce said Ruane had been a resident of Dobson all his life, and was well-known there. Tie had relatives in the district. Nothing else had previously been known against him. The. Magistrate granted a remand for a week, bail being fixed at £lOO I self and two sureties of £5O each. | INDECENT ASSAULT CHARGE. , Erasmus Arthur Jones was charged . that at Greymouth on December 14th, ho indecently assaulted two males. Evidence was given by two boys, each I sixteen years of age, as to the circumj stances of the case. The accused, who conducted his own defence, was stated iby Constable Surgenor, of Westport, to have been arrested there on December 19. Accused pleaded not guilty, and was committed for trial. He asked for bail, stating he had been locked ;up since his arrest, and had had no • opportunity to prepare his case. Bail had been refused when he first appeared before a Justice of the Peace, whom he had told he had work to go to at Westport. Detective Murch saCd he opposed bail being granted, as there ! had been complaints here as to the i behaviour of accused towards child- • ren. He had already been in a mental i hospital, to which he had been transfered from gaol. Accused said that had nothing to do with his application i for bail. He denied that he had been

IS years in gaol since 1900. He had now been four weeks in custody. The Magistrate said he thought the case was one in which bail should' be allowed, if' accused could secure it. Detective Murch remarked that accused had given trouble at the local gaol, and a dactor had had to be brought for him while the gaoler had received authority for his transfer to Paparoa Prison. Accused contended that this had no bearing on the question of whether he should receive bail on the charge against him. Bail was fixed at £lOO self, with two sureties of £5O each, ,