COURT NEWS

Grey River Argus, 21 August 1934, Page 8

COURT NEWS

Theft and Forgery SENTENCES AT WELLINGTON. (Per Press Association.) AV ELLINGTON. August 20.0 Prisoners were sentenced by Chief Justice Myers, to-day, as follows: — George Edward Owen Cross, obtaining money by false pretences, twelve months’ hard labour. Leo Spencer Davies, forgery and uttering, two years’ probation and crdered to take out a. prohibition order against himself. Leo Oswald Buttle, breaking, entering and theft, ordered to come up for sentence within twelve months, if called upon. Uaro’d Charles Martin, breaking entering and theft, two years’ hard labour, to be served concurrently wi*h a sentence he is at present undergoing. Thomas Warren Forrester, and Vernon Arnold Watson, theft from' a dwellinghouse, were remanded for a week with instructions to the Probationer to see if they could not be put to work in a relief camp or somewhere else. His Honor said ho did not feel it a case where he should send these young men to gaol, if it cou’d possibly be avoided Edward John Royal, 22, seaman was sentenced to a month’s imprisonment to-day, on a charge of stealing wearing apparel and other articles, of the total value of £3 15s Bd. the pro perty of Charles Pollard. Counsel for accused said that he. was a member of the first Byrd expedition to the Antarctic, fl nd on Saturday morning, he re newefl acquaintance with Burnt Balchen. Aj’cu ed was hard up. and Balchen gave him a pound and toM him to go and drink his health. Accused, however. overdid it. and went along to an hotel to see a. friend, where he took th c articles from what he thought was his friend’s room. but. afterwards turned out to bo another’s, the friend having left the hotel. The police had stated that accused was at present on probation, for theft, and the Probation Of fleer said, that he could not rdeommend leniency. MOTORIST GAOLED WELLINGTON, August 20. Theodore Astor Payne, recklessly driving a motor-car, thereby causing death, two years’ reformative detention. His Honor said that in the public interest the prisoner nni't be punished, and punishment must not be nominal by an? means. The casualty happened on a wide road in broad daylight without any suggestion of traffic, or anything that could lereate a difficulty to managing properly a vehicle Nevertheless prisoner had run down a youth Hugh Fergus ou, attempted rape, was remanded to enable further reports to be obtained about prisoner. BETTING FINE. WOMAN’S SMALL BUSINESS. CHRISTCHURCH, August 18. Before Mr E. D. Mosley, S M.. in the Magistrate’s Court, to-day, Edith Florence Grimwood, 39, a married woman, pleaded guilty to a charge of carrying on the bu.-iness of a bookmaker. She was fined £l5. with costs, and allowed 14 days in which to pay. Chief-Detective W. IT Dunlop, said the police had received complaints that bookmaking was being carried on at accused’s shop in Oxford Terrace. De ‘ectives F. Thompson and J. J. Halcrow paid a vi.it and in a back room found betting material, which indicated flint the woman was tearrying on business us a bookmaker. The bets were small and it seemed that she was practically working as an agent. Air Kennedy, who appeared for Airs Crimwood, raid she was in the business in only a small way. She and her husband had both been ill in recent mon’hs, and she had been reduced to that method of augmenting her income. She had two boys, both unemployed. COUPONS AND RACE MEETINGS. COMPETITION ILLEGAL PALAIERSTON N.. August 20.0 Reserved judgment was delivered by Alagistrate Stout, in the case in which the New Zealand “Sunday News’’ Puh'is’hing Coy., Ltd., was charged recently. wi‘h breaches of the Gaming Act. in respect of coupons in the paper, instituting a competition under which the public are invited to forecast winners in each of eight ra<*es at certain race mce/ings. Fines of five pounds and one shilling were imposed in each of two charges, the others being dismissed. The Magistrate held that the prizes offered were payable “on one event, or (contingency of. or relating to. a horse race.’’ It was immaterial thalsome other legitimate business, such as thc sale of fhe newspaper was connected with the competition. Security for an appeal was fixed.