COURT NEWS

Grey River Argus, 4 May 1934, Page 6

COURT NEWS

Gold Band Taxi Case CONVICTION ON FOUR CHARGES. (Per Press Association » CIIRLSTCIIURCH, May 3. The Supreme Court continued the hearing to-day of twenty-four charges of theft and eight of forgery against. Leslie Cecil Johnson. The amount involved ua.s £426. Counsel for defence said the case was not one for criminal prosecution.. Prisoner saved Trillo’s business by a masterly stroke of finance, so that tin* creditors who had been clamouring for settlement actually in effect lent Trillo £200(1 free of interest for 1.5 months. It was hard to believe that Johnson was only to be paid as a junior clerk when he had really become the Gold Band 'l’axis -and Trißo the figurehead. The Judge said that counsel for the defence had addressed the jury eloquently, hut there were certain things he had mentioned which should not influence them. They could get out of their minds this was a case for civil settlement. It had been very properly brought before them to be dealt with as a criminal matter. Feelings of gratitude should not be expected to condone the commission of a crime. The jury returned a verdict of guiltv on the four charges of theft that the Crown had particularised. Prisoner was remanded for sentence till to-morrow. On the other theft charges, there was a formal verdict of not guilty. A stav of proceedings was applied for on the forgery counts. CABARET CASE. ('IIRISTCHirRCH, May Douglas Palmer *Claridge, proprietor of Claridge’s Country Club, New Brighton road, a well-known cabaret, was charged at the Christchurch Magistrate’s Court to-day, with keeping the chib open on Sunday, for the purpose of transaction of business, ami as proprietor of the restaurant, with permitting liquor to be drunk on the premises at a time when licensed premises were closed. The hearing was adjourned for a week. CHARGE OF STEALING SHOES. FROM WE1.1.1 \GTO\ SHOP. WELLINGTON. May 3. A plea Df "°t guilty was entered by William Murphy, a labourer, aged 3i>, and Thomas Joseph O'Shea, a seaman, aged 34. when charged at the Magistrate’s Court, with breaking and entering on April 1.5, the shop of Ilan nah and Co., and stealing shoes valued at £9. Accused were committed to the Supreme Court for trial. Evidence was given by the manageress of the shop, who said that, when she returned on April 16, she found a glass panel of the door broken, and live pairs of ladies’ shoes missing. She noticed blood on a ledge in the shop, on the floor, and on a .footstool. Gerald Francis Gardner, a salesman. said he was in Dixon Street at 1.15 p.m. on April 15, and just, before he got to Hannah’s shop, he heard the tinkling of glass. As he passed the shop he saw a man standing in the doorway, and anothei- stepping through the broken panel of the door. ■Witness informed a, constable what he had seen, and pointed out the two men. who were still in the vicinity. Constable Wilson said that lie saw two men making down Diron Street, each with a bundle under his arm. Both ran round the side of a house. Witness followed them and saw Murphy in a hiding' attitude along the path. Witness said: “Come on, I want you.” whereupon Murphy stepped back two or three paces, and putting a hand to his hip, said: “I have got a gun on you.” Witness punched Murphy twice, and used the baton on him, when he started to call for his mate. Constable Satherley said when he arrived at the house in Dixon Street, he saw a man standing against the wall. He called out to the man. who immediately ran into the house. Witness followed, and in a room upstairs ho found the accused O’Shea in bed. There was frosh blood on the hack of O’Shea’s hand. Constable Wills, assistant in the Criminal Registration Branch of the Police Department, said he was satisfied that fingerprints found on two pieces of glass taken from the broken door panel were those of the accused.