AFTER HOURS CHARGES

Grey River Argus, 18 June 1942, Page 6

AFTER HOURS CHARGES

DISMISSED BY BOURT.

WANGANUI, June 17. An unusual licensing case was heard in the Magistrate’s Court when nine cricketers were charged with being illegally in a hotel, after hours. The charges were the sequel to a cricket club end of the season dinner, when the cricketers were found in the licensee’s private bar at about 8.20 p.m., about ten minutes or a quarter of‘an hour after the finish of the dinner.

No explanation was asked of them at the time, but, in Court, the evidence was that a group, consisting mostly of executive members of the ciub, who were waiting to go on together to another gathering, beginning at 8.30, (nearly ail the others attending the dinner having by this time left the premises), were invited by the licensee to have a farewell drink with him, when the treasurer went and settled up for the dinner.

The explanation that the men were invited to have a farewell drink with him was given by the licensee in the bar at the time. No money changed hands, and actually no liquor had been consumed when the police arrived, although some drinks were poured. The Magistrate (Mr. Salmon) said the licensee could supply liquor at any time to any person, other than a .prohibited person,-, provided the transaction was not a sale. For the life of him he could not see why their explanation should not be accepted, although the circumstances may have looked suspicious to the police. He dismissed the charges against the licensee of selling or exposing for sale, and keeping open for sale.. After a charge agamst one cricketer for being illegally on the premises was also dismissed, the police with-' drew the remainder.