MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Grey River Argus, 10 February 1931, Page 8

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

YESTERDAY’S CASES. The following eases were dealt with by Mr W. Meldrum, S.M., at a sitting | of the Magistrate’s Court at Grey-, mouth yesterday: —■ On charges .of being found unlaw- I fully rti licensed premises after hours, ' six first offenders were each convicted i and ordered to pay 10/6 witnesses’ expenses. A first offending Hi- I chelate found drunk in Mawhera Quay, o n Saturday night was convicted and 1 fined the amount of his bail, 5/-. , Walter Batchelor, for disobedience of a maintenance order, which was £7 10/- in arreas, to January 22, was convicted and fined £2, The Traffic Inspector, Mr A. J. Sloss (Mr Joyce) proceeded against] Ernest Hudson Hooper and Loftus , Ronchi, with, that, on 22/12/30, on the main road between Greymouth aXid Ikamatua, at or near Salmon Creek 1 bridge near Ikamatua, they did negligently drive a motor lorry on such road at a speed or in a manner which, having regard to all the circumstances of the case, was dangerous to the public or to any person 'On such highway. There was no appearataee of either de-1 fendants, and Mr Joyce intimated that both had pleaded guilty to the offence. Mr Joyce said the bridge had been considerably strained as a result i of the impact. There was good visibility, with a good stretch of road, but both defendants had apparently tried to beat one another on to the bridge. This was a dangerous practice and such cases as these should not be dealt with leniently. Inspector Sloss stated that the bridge was knocked out of plumb. Both men admitted the ofifeneo. A fine of £3 was inflicted against each of the defendants, who were also ordered to pay court costs 12/- and solicitor’s fees £l/1/- each. Charles Hunter (Mr J. W. Hannan) proceeded against Barry Creagh, Benjamin Lewis and John Meagher, that with between the 16th and 27th Nov-

ember, 11’30, at Dobson, being persons employed in or about the. Grey Valley Collieries mine at Dobson, did fail to comply with directions with respect to working, given in the interests of safety to them by an official of the mine, Charles Hunter, such direetiotis being- that the working place in which they were working was not to be worked to a greater width than 10 feet- Each defendant was convicted and ordered to pay costs 10/- and £1 1/- solicitor’s fee.

Walter Pattinson (Mr Joyce) was. cha-ee<i with that o« .or about 27/11/30 at Itewantu. he did steal one box of butter, valued at £2/12/-. the property of William Quate, Rewanui. Accused elected to be dealt' with summarily and pleaded not guilty. Detective Sergeant Holmes cotiducted police proceedings. : Wm. Quate, miner, Rewanui, said his wife kept a grocery store. On Thursday, Nov. 27, a box of butter 'was missed which should Iffive arrived at the store that day. He saw the box of butter on the Monday previous. Wm. Boddy, rope boy at the No. 2 mine said he saw the box of butter on Nov. 27. He had taken it off an empty coal truck. He later saw two truckers whom he did not know standing by the box, and then take it itrside t> e mine. It was not true that Pattinson was one of them as previously statiod by witness in statement to Con- | stable Houston. The truckers were back lon and he did not know who they ' were. i Walter P:ittiiiso>ii trucker said he knew nothing of the box of butter -except when Constable Houston brought ! the empty box out of the mine. He had heard his brother was somewhat mixed up in it as it was admitted brot’ -er took 31bs home. He had gone to see Mrs Quate to try and save Us young brother. To Detective Mureh: He had approached Mr Quate to try and keej; his young brother out of the ease, stating that sooner than it go to Court they would pay for the butter. He had told Constable Houston nothing. The Magistrate in dismissing the charge, said the only direct evidence against accused was that given in a statement by Boddy, which he now con- . tradieted in Court. i Eleanor Pattinson (Mr Joyce) pleaded not guilty to a charge of receiving 31bs of butter valued at 3/6, oti or about 30/11/30, which were before then stolen, and well knowing the same to be dishonestly obtained. Defendant denied her previous statement to the police that she had known of the butter being brought home. To the 8 M-: Her son had said he found the butter, but she had suspected it belonged to somebody else. The, Magistrate ill dismissing the charge, said that there seemed little doubt that Herbert Pattinson got the butter from the mine, and that it had been stolen by other boys, and he had brought it home. It depended on what lie told his mother and she should have been put on her guard,, but as ' she had a large family she did not make enquiries. It apparently did not appear to her that the boy had actually stolen the butter. Perhaps it was careless'iiess, on defendant’s part. He would "nt himself in the position of a jury and consider whether defendant would be given - the benefit of the doubt. He would therefore give the benefit of the doubt and the ease would- be. dismissed.

Charles Gooda’-l (Mr Joyce) was charged on two counts that on 13/12/30 at Greymouth, he did assault two young girls. Tie was convicted and fined £3 oti each charge in default 7 days’”' imprisonment■ in the Greymouth Prison, with hard labour, warrant not to be issued if paid before 12/2/31. The Inspector of Traffic (Mr A. JSloss) (Mr Joyce), charged Pearl Hurdis with offences under the Motor Regulations Act: (1) That on 21/1/31 on the main public road between Stillwater arid. Greymouth She did drive a motor vehicle without being the holder of a motor driver’s lierfnse. Defendant pleaded guilty- arid w»s convicted a-id fined £l, and ordered to pay costs 10/-, and solicitor’s fees £1 1/- i O n another charge that being the | driver of a motor vehicle on 21/1/31 on I the road between Stillwater and Kokiri, whereby an accident i'nvoivijig in- | jury to two persons occurred, she did I fail forthwith to report such accident i at the nearest police station; defend- • ant was convicted, and ordered to pay costs 10/- and solicitor’s fee 10/6. CHILDREN’S COURT. i At a meeting of the Childreu”s Court ] yesterday a boy pleaded guilty to a | charge of stealing rtie box of butter at | I Rewanui on November 27th, valued at 12/-. He was admonished and dis-1 charged, the father being ordered to

pay the value of the butter, and £l/6/1 witnesses ’ expenses. A girl pleaded guilty to a charge that, being a person other than the licensee, she did during a time when the premises were required to be closed, supply liqjuor to persons not entitled to be so supplied. She was admonished and discharged.