FINED £25

Grey River Argus, 18 May 1943, Page 2

FINED £25

SLY GROGGING CHARGE. P.A. WHANGAREI, May 17. Gordon Samuel Donald Boniface, known for the past 14 years as Ricardo Martinez, was fined £25 to-day by Mr Raymond Ferner, S.M., on a sly grogging charge. The police stated that they found in Boniface’s house sixteen quart bottles of beer and unlabelled bottle wine, while a dozen quart bottles of beer were in a sack. A dollar bill was found in a drawer. Boniface said that they were given him by a friend he would not name. In a washhouse were S 3 quart bottles, 32 of which were bottles in which gin was usually sold. There were thirteen beer bottles under the house. Boniface made no objection to the police search, but another man present challenged the police right, and threatened to use a gun. Vladimir Kokiih, a wine merchant, said that he had sold wine worth £9 12s to Boniface. Mrs Kokiih sold wine worth £3 12s. Giving evidence on his own behalf, Boniface admitted that he and another man arranged parties at his home at Tikipunga Hill, which were sometimes attended by as many as 20 civilians, soldiers and Marines. He charged ordinary prices for the liquor consumed.

When approached by the police in the street he had fifteen bottles of unlabelled wine in his car and intended charging two dollars a bottle because of the risk taken, he said in a statement to the police. The Magistrate, in fining Boniface and - ordering the confiscation of the liquor, said that his leniency was due to the fact that he was a first offender. Another appearance would mean gaol.