MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Grey River Argus, 15 May 1945, Page 6

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

SITTING AT GREYMOUTH Mr A. A. McLachlan S.M., presided over a sitting of the Magistrate’s Court at. Greymouth. yesterday.Senior Sergeant G. FI. L. Holt repi esented the police. James Joseph O’Regan, licensee of the Ngahere Hotel, was charged that on April 15 he supplied liquor after’ hours. The charge was brought under the Licensing Act Emergency Regulations. Mr. J. W. Hannan for the defendant pleaded guilty. James Gibson, Robert Reid, and two other first offenders were charged with consuming liquor after hours at 1 the Ngahere Hotel on April 15. Gibson and Reid appeared and pleaded not guilty. Constable A. W. Honey said that at 4.20 on the Sunday afternoon in question he visited the hotel. The licensee was in the bar and the four other defendants were in the parlour. Gibson was at a slide with a glass of beer in front of him and Reid was sitting on a couch. An empty glass was on a small mantlepiece nearby. Reid in evidence said he had gone to the hotel to bandage Gibson’s hand, which he had hurt while playing football. , Gibson said h e had been hurt playing football. He saw Reid who said he would bandage his hand and wait while he bathed and changed. He had gone to get money which he had left with Mr. O’Regan when, the constable came in. To the Magistrate he said that he could get Mr. O’Regan to vouch for what he he said. The Magistrate said that he would adjourn these two cases to give the defendants a chance of bringing their witness. The other two men would be fined £2, 10s. The Senior Sergeant said that nothing was known against O’Regan. He ran a fairly: good hotel. O’Regan was fined £lO, with costs £l. 4S 6d ' . TT7 Norman Ernest Gillman (Mr. W. D. Taylor) was charged that on April 1, at Blaketown, he drove a motorcar without being the holder of a driver’s license, was fined £l, with costs 10s.

Ralph Henry George Derry was charged that on April 14, while driving a motor vehicle from Alexander Terrace into Smith Street, he failed to keep as far as possible to the left of the centre line of the road. He pleaded guilty. The Senior Sergeant said it was a case of cutting a corner and not expecting anything to come along. Defendant’s excuse was that his car was a heavy, one and difficult to handle in a small space. Derry said he was on the wrong side, but even had he been on the correct side there would most likely have been an accident. He was travelling at only 7 to 10 miles an hour. Defendant was fined £2, with costs 10s.

Eugene T. Swetnam, licensee of the Imperial Hotel, was charged that on March 27 he supplied liquor after hours. The charge was brought under the Licensing Act Emergency Regulations. The Senior Sergeant said that on the day in question, Sergeant R. C. McRobie and Constable A. Wilson visited the hotel at about 7.30 p.m. They, found the door open. The licensee was behind the bar and a servant named Hargreaves and a seaman named Byrne were haVing)’ drinks. Byrne said he was going to book in but later left the hotel. Evidence along these lines was given by Sergeant Mcßobie, who in answer to questions from Mr. Hannan said that the licensee said that, Byrne v.as going to book in. No attempt was made to hide anything.. Defendant in evidence said that Byrne had come in and asked for Hargreaves and said he was going ro spend the night. Then the Sergeant came in. Byrne had stayed there on about four previous occasions when his boat was in port, and stayed there on this occasion. To the Senior Sergeant he said that Byrne had not booked in at the time the Sergeant came in. The Magistrate said that the element oF doubt was sufficient for him to dismiss the information, but he warned defendant that h e must be careful in future.