MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Grey River Argus, 12 May 1931, Page 2

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

I Yesterday’s Cases 1 The following cases were dealt with at yesterday’s sitting of the Magistrate’s Court, before Mr W. Meldrum, S.M., Senior Sergeant O. E. Roach conducted the police proceedings. A first offender drunk, wa s convicted and ordered to forfeit the amount of hi’s bail', 5/-. AFTER HOURS. Fifteen statu-tfflry first offenders were each convicted and ordered to pay costs, whilst two second offenders were each convicted :uid fined £1 and costs 10/-. A third offender- was convicted and fined £2 with costs ,10/-.’ , Edward Henry McGuigan pleaded not. guilty to, being on the licensed premises of the CSobdeu Hotel after I hours. Clostable Kearney said de- | fondant came in the back door, gtvi ing as an excuse, that he' wanted to i see a man named Coulson about some timber. Defendant did not make further enquiries about Coulson. Defendant, in evidence, said he went iii *■ see Coulson about a quote tor «omh timber. He was convicted and ordered to pay costs, 10/-. I CHARGE OF THEFT DISMISSED. 1 Milan Pupich (Mr W. J. Joycel, , prioeee<Je-d against Tholusfe Benjamin I Jackson, who was remanded from | Thursday last on a charge of the | theft of £4/8/- the property of the Inangahua Branch of the New Zealand i Workers’ Union, at Inangahua. Junei tion on April 22. Air Joyce said that under the cir- ’ cumstanccs he did not intend to offer any evide-n&e. The case wais dismissI cd for want of prosecution. THEFT OF COAL. I 'There was no appcaaa-ncte of Thomas I Leach to answer a charge- of theft of I coal valued at 1/-, tlfe property of the I New Zealand Government. Constable i Hendrfcksen said that at 10.15 p.m., ( ou April 13th, he was on duty and | saw Leaeh walking down the wharf (with a. bag of coal. Loach explained I that he had picked the coal up off . the wharf. He was convicted and fined 10/- with, court costs, 10/-. SHOT A HARE. | ' Frank .Matson, who did not appear, i was charged with killing imported game, namely a hare, at Kotuku ou * April 17th. | Michael Kinsella Malloy, labourer,! K'Ctuku, stated that on Sunday, Apiil 12th, he saw defendant with a guni | and later heard him fire two shots :i hare. He saw the hare running! ■ about on three legs, squealing. Matson' as-ked witness if he thought his fatherj 1 would mind him shooting the hares on ibis father’s property. Witness ad-‘ vised defendant to see his father. Witness then took the hare off his dog. 1 .John Malloy, farmer, Kotuku, saidj that 0:1 .April 17th hij sen handed him < a hare which he later gave to Constable Rogers. . Constable Rogers stated that on I April 18th Or 19th he went to Kotuku I and interviewed defendant, who admitted shooting the hare. Witness! produced a gazette declaring the hare as protected imported game. A fine ■ of £1 was inflicted, with Court costs 118/- and witnesses’ expenses £1 9/10. DELIVERED REVOLVER. George <McNabb pleaded not guilty to delivering a firearm, namely a , revolver, to a person unknown, such person not being a person entitled to j obtain same by virtue of a permit is-1 (sued to him on that, behalf pursuant to Regulations under the Arms Act,* ' 1920. j Defendant said he had not known 1 5 that he con d u<»t give firearms away! [to people, U‘£ was convicted without I pena Ity. UNLIGHTED MOTOR CYCLE. | Alex Cox was c<»nvictej a ad fined | 5/-' with court costs 10/- for driving! a motor cvcle after dark without a! I light - ' 1 ARREARS OF MAINTENANCE. The Maintenance Officer proceeded i against William Low for arrears of ‘ maintenance of an illegitimate child, which amounted to £lB 15/6 t 0 January 19th. Evidence was given by the g-i’l’s mother that her daughter was living at home, and that her husband whs in pocr circumstances. Defendant said he had only worked two days during the last month on the, . relief work for unemployed. He had .not worked for eleven mouths previously. He had been a bus driver am! i’.ived with his people. ; I The Magistrate: What are you prepared to offer? Defendant: 1 cannot make any offer. : The Magistrate: You have your child. Why not keep it? What is the child to do? You have the responsibility to maintain it. If you do not I make a:i offer, 1 will make an order, i You brought the child into the world, j and are responsible for it. i Defendant said he could not make ian offer. * Defendant was convicted and sentenced to one month’s imprisonment, warrant not to issue so long as defendant pays 10/- per week off the arrears, and also the current weekly payments. ASSAULT CASE. John Ba Hock (Mr Joyce) pleaded ' not guilty to a charge that- he assault- ■ cd Thomas Roper at North Beach on I April J6th, and that he rescued a I h«rse, seized by Roper for the purpose I of being impounded on the same date. | Senior Sergeant Roach said that both offences arose out of the same circumstances. On April 16th Mr Roper was engaged in the execution of Jiis duty as Ranger fo r the Cobden Town Board. He also worked for the Grey Electric Power Board. At 6.40 a.m. he found three horses wandering in Bright Street, and was faking them to the pound when defendant was alleged to have come along in his car and asked for his horse, which was one of three that were being driven to the pound. Rope r had told defendant he could have the hcxrse for 2/-. Balloek then hit Roper and took the horse 'and handed it over to his son. Robert Thomas Roper, employed as I linesman for the Grey Electric/ Power I

Board, and as Ranger for the Cobden Town Board, said that o u April ,16th he was patrolling North Bench when defendant and *his son came along and they paw him with tire son’s horse. The son told witness to pul his horse back the paddock. Witness asked for the poundage fee of 2/-. Defend ant then struck witness three blows pmd knocked witness into the gorse. Witness’s son was present. The horse that defendant ’s son claimed, was put in the paddock by defendant’s son. He did not receive the poundage fee. To Mr Joyce: There was nothing said about Myles Ray’s horse, walking along the road, without being pounded. He told defendant his horse was always on the road.

The twelve-year-old son of Roper gave corroborative evidence. Defendant, in evidence, stated that! he was a miner residing at North Beach. On the morning of the alleged assault, he was going to work when his son showed him the boy Roper holding his son’s horse. He asked Roper to give his boy the horse and let him put it in the paddock, and he would pay that evening. Roper did not agree t<> this, and when witness told Roper about sending his (Roper’s boy) home with Myles Ray’s horse two mile s away, Roper s wore at him, saying that witness’s horse was always ou the road. James Bollock gave evidence that J the horse was held by witness for sale purposes. He corroborated his father’s] evidence. John Baldock also gave evidence, j The Magistrate said there was a direct conflict of evidence between the parties. Roper said he was struck by defendant, and defendant said he fell over in the gorse owing to the horse breaking away when defendant jumped out t-f the car and frightened it. It seemed pretty clear that defendant attempted t 0 rescue the horse. Tf was an interference with Roper in the carrying out of his official duties. Defendant would be convicted on the first charge, and fined 10/- with court costs 16/-. and witnesses’ expenses 10/6. lip would also be convicted on the assault charge.