AFTER-HOURS TRADE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 156, 17 June 1936, Page 8

AFTER-HOURS TRADE

Licensee, Barman, and Eight Others Fined ILLEGALLY IN HOTEL Fines totaling £2l, with costs £5 5/were imposed bv -Mr. J. Miller, S.AI.. in the Hastings Magistrate’s Court this morning on the licensee of the Albert Hotel, Hastings, Harold E Connop; his harman, John Joseph McDonald; and eight men caught in the hotel alter hours, as the result of a police raid on the night of May 23 last. Connop, who pleaded guilty to a charge of selling liquor after hours, was lined £2: McDonald, who pleaded guilty to a charge of supplying liquor alter hours, was fined £7 ; and eacli of tne eight other deiendants was fined £1 10/- upon convictions for being tound in the hotel after hours. The costs were 10/- m each case except that of a Maori, who was ordered to pay an extra 5/- translation fee. Mr. John Humphries (Aapier) entered a plea of guilty on behalf of Connop and McDonald. To two further charges against Connop, one of exposing liquor lor sale alter hours and. the other of keeping his hotel open alter hours, Mr. Humphries pleaded not guilty, and they were withdrawn by the police. "At 8.20 ‘p.lll, on Saturday, Mar 23, Sergeant Wade and 1 visited the Albert Hotel,” said Senior-Sergeant J. F. H. Macnamara, who prosecuted. “We were in plain clothes and had no difficulty in getting in to the private bar. The door was opened by the barman, and in the bar we found ten men, eight of whom admitted that thev were .illegally on the premises.” The barman, who admitted having sold liquor, was working within the scope of his authority, added the Senior-Sergeant. He had been before the court on two previous occasions in connection with hotel offences. Connop, the licensee, was before the court in 1935 and was convicted ror selling aquor alter hours. Sergeant R, G. Wade corroborated the Senior-Sergeant’s statements. Mr. Humphries said that Connop Was away from Hastings at the tune of the offence, as was the vase when the breach occurred in 1935, He bore a good character and Mr. Humphries asked lor leniency, both lor Connop and his barman, McDonald, whose desire to keep his job would prevent him from getting into further trouble. “There can be no doubt about McDonald’s guilt; there were eight men in the bar illegally and he can have no excuse,” said the Magistrate, in convicting him and imposing a fine of £7. “So far as Connop is concerned, there is no doubt about his liability. His barman had already been before the court and Connop must take the responsibility incurred. He Will be lined £2.” The following eight defendants were fined £1 10/- lor being lound in the hotel during closing hours.— Peter Robert Hutchinson, Harry Jeffery Lewis, Bertram Hatherall, Leonard Simonsen, James Hanley, Bert West, H. J. Ainsworth and Cyril August.