COURT NEWS

Grey River Argus, 4 January 1940, Page 3

COURT NEWS

GAMING HOUSES Auckland Police Raids AUCKLAND, January 2. Six persons charged with using premises at various addresses as common gaming houses appeared before Mr C. R. Orr Walker, S.M., in the Police Court yesterday as the result of raids made by detectives on December 23. All the accused plgfided guilty. Mervyn Walter Rae, motor mechanic, aged 25, who admitted using premises at 16, Security Buildings as a gaming house, pleaded that he had carried on the business because it was an interesting one. He was fined £lOO and costs. A fine of £75 and costs was imposed on Christopher Garrett Molloy, tobacconist, aged 33 (Mr Terry) on a similar charge of using premises at 15 Karangahape Road. Counsel said that accused was unable to undertake open-air work and had been drawn into bookmaking through obliging friends. Remarking that it was accused’s sixth conviction for the same offence, the magistrate imposed the maximum penalty of £lOO with costs on Douglas Hipkins, tobacconist, aged 46, for using premises at 11 Commerce St., as a gaming house. Accused stated that he had begun bookmaking during'the depression and had not been able to leave it since. Rooms at No. 1 Safe Deposit Buildings were used by Lords Thomas Ernest Dixon, mechanic, aged 33 (Mr Terry). The penalty imposed was £5.0, with costs. A dairyman, Eric John Hancock, aged 24, who used his stop at 64 Wakefield Street, ufor betting, was fined £3O and costs. A fine of a similar amount was imposed on the sixth accused, Henry Stuart Sissons, aged 29, who, it was stated, operated at 65 Pitt Street. All the accused were allowed seven days in which to find the money.