COURT NEWS

Grey River Argus, 9 May 1936, Page 7

COURT NEWS

NAVAL ROAD HOG Fined and Suspended CLOCKED AT 70 M.P.H. (Per Press Association.) WELL LAG TON, -May 8. Ninian Sco-t E.iio-t, Lieutenant o' H.AI.S. Leith, was hued £.lO ami h.s driving license was cancelled, till the end of tho month for driving at a speed and in a nv-Uiner tha, t migie have been dangerous io the public. The evidence showed that lie nad been followed at a speed. of over 70 m.p.h. on the road beyond Upper Hutt, mihe could not, be. overtaken, Elliih't did not appear.'' but it stated that, when mtei vieweit, lw said he thought the oilier car wanted a race. _ it also appeared from the evidence that a waic’h was sei lor his car about which there had been a coin plaint. The accused had stii-ted thalie wus in the habit of renting can. al each port, of call. 11. tts- a-.m -ted that he was a ll ' other ciise of a nautical road hog. Manslaughter Charge HUTT ROAD DEATHS. WELLINGTON, -May 8. The trial of William Alcßeynokis, aged 28 a ship’s fireman, on a charge of negligently driving a motor car thereby causing the deaths of Charles Bradshaw and Ernest Alarston, was continued in the Wellington Supreme Court yesterday. In the afternoon a start was made with the defence. -Mr. Justice Blair presided. The accident occurred on the Hutt Road on the evening of February 29 last, when Bradshaw, a grocer’s assistant, aged 21, of Patea, was riding a motor-cycle and Alarston, aged 43, a painter and paperhanger, of Petoue, was pillion riding. They were travelling from Petone to Wellington. The case for the Crown which was represented by Air. C. Scott, opened on Thursday morning, and concluded shortly after the luncheon adjournment yesterday. .Mr. Al. G. Neal appeared for AleReynolds, who pleaded not guilty. The defence raised was that the collision was caused by the negligence of Bradshaw. it being contended that Alcßeynolds was forced into a position on the wrong side of the road through the action of the driver of another car in accelerating as Alcßeynolds attempted to pass. Bradshaw, it was submitted, knew the source of danger already created, but, nevertheless, pulled out suddenly from behind another car and accelerated.

The hearing was interrupted by the adjournment. The ease was continued on -Monday,

JURY’S DAMAGES AWARD. WELLINGTON, May 8. In the Solomon ease, the jury found in favour of plaintiff, after a retirement of nearly five hours, for £982 general and special damages. The verdict was a majority one. Unemployment Fraud MAN FINED £2O. AUCKLAND, May 8. The making of false declarations under the Unemployment Act, in order to ga'ai material benefits, is a risky thing to do. Lawrence Joseph Keenan pleaded guilty to such a charge when he was brought before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M.. on a summons. The prosecuting inspector said that Keenan made a false declaration by stating his daughter was being maintained by linn, whereas she had died as far back as 1924, seven years before he had registered under the Unemployment Act. “This man insisted in his false pretence by maintaining that he had three children whereas he had only two,” the Inspector said. “We had to make many inquiries and eventually found that he had only two children. He has defrauded the Department of £39 Bs.” Mr. Hunt imposed a fine of £2O. Forgery Admitted WAGES CHEQUES ALTERED. > INVERCARGILL. May 8. _ In the Magistrate’s Court this afternoon, Joseph O’Donnell, aged 24, a farm labourer, pleaded guilty to several charges of forgery cud was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.

The police stated that accused was employed by Mrs. MacDonald on hei farm at Hokonui. All the cheques involved had been drawn in her name were for wages owing to the accused. The. latter had filled in the cheques and butts and Mrs. MacDonald had signed them. Later the accused had altered the cheques to varying amounts. WELLINGTON, May 7. A verdict of guilty was found by the jury in the Supreme Court, in a case in which Samuel Allen, railway carpenter. was charged with .stealing from a dwelling a wallet and £-12 in money. Allen was remanded tor sentence. A young man was fined £2 at Lower Hutt to-day for operating a small wireless transmitting set. He was not licensed. The seriousness of such an offence was pointed out, the Act providing for a fine of £5OO. DUNEDIN. May S. Henare Te iliohu, charged with being intoxicated, while in charge of a car, was sentenced to fourteen days’ imprisonment. His license was cancelled. and he was prohibited from driving for two years. A few years ago, accused lost his license for ten years, but was granted permission to drive again last year. Missionary Gaoled FOR BURNING HOUSES. (Received May 8, 10 p.m.) SYDNEY, May S. A Rabanl message states: Father Anthony Cranssen, a Roman Catholic priest, ' pleaded guilty ib burning down Lutheran native teachers’ houses. He was sentenced by Judge Wanliss to five years’ imprisonment. Judge Wanl’ss said Father Cranssen had besmirched the Mission. He bad been a traitor to his Church, his Bishop, and his co-workers.