MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 12 October 1922, Page 7

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12

(Before Mr. ■J. S, Barton, S.M.)

The weekly sittings of the Magistrate's Court commenced at 'Hawera this morning.

A FIRST OFFENDER

A first offender, a woman who was a. stranger to the town", was fined 7s Gd on a charge of drunkenness.

NO LIGHTS.

■ JininiyMatangi was charged witii haying driven a horse; and cart along Princes Street after sundown without having a light attached. Sergeant Henry stated that many natives made a practice of staging in town till sunset and driving- home without lights in the dark. A fine of £1, with costs 12s, was imposed. MOTOR CYCLIST IN TROUBLE. E. Graham was charged with having failed, when riding a motor bicycle, to keep as near as practicable to the left side of the road when entering High Street from Princes Street. There was a further charge of having purchased a motor cycle without having notified the registering authority. Sergeant Henry said that the defendant was about 20 years of age, and worked ,at a dairy factory. The motor ■cycle had not yet been registered, and ■this was contrary v to a promise made to the police. On the first charge defendant was convicted a and fined £1, and on the second he was-fined 15s Costs were added in each case. '

RAILWAY CROSSING CASE. Eugene McCarthy was charged, with having attempted to cross the Ball Road railway crossing in a motor ear while the crossing was not clear.' Sergeant Henry said the crossing was a particularly badSone.! The engine had struck the car, which had been carried over the cattle stop. The by-law 1 aid it down that a crossing, must not be taken while a train was half a mils away; ■ \ ■ Defendant said it was impossible to see the train till he was almost on the line. He had been travelling* very slowly at the time, and did not hear the train whistle. Defendant was fined 10s ' and costs 7s. •■ v ' . • ON LICENSED PREMISES. Wi PitMras charged with having been found on licensed premises at Normanby at a time when the premises were required by law to be closed. Constable Pidgeon stated that on. August 15 at 9.40 p.m. he found three men in the yard of the Normanby Hotel. One had "a bottle in. his hand, and was handing it round to two other natives, who drank from! it. Witness took the bottle from the man, who had it and found it to be half full of whisky. Witness had subsequently learned that defendant was one of the three menj, \ _ Constable Parkinson, stationed at New Plymouth, stated that on September. 19 he interviewed defendant, who admitted that he was one of the three natives found in the Normanby Hotel by the constable on August 16. _ Replying to the magistrate, Sergeant Henry said that this- was'*a proclaimed j district, and natives could drink during licensed hours, but could not take liquor off the premises. Sergeant Henry further stated that one or two hotel's at Normanby were giving the police a good dear of trouble in connecttion with natives. Defendant was fined £2 with costs. Hori was similarly charged, and was also charged with stealing a bottle of whisky, the property of some person unknown. Defendant pleaded not guilty to the first charge and guilty on the second charge. . Constable Pidgeon gave evidence to the effect that he had seen defendant in the back yard of the Normanby Hotel supplying two other natives with I whisky. Defendant had stated that his brother was staying at the hotel. Sergeant Henry said that "the whisky was in a room that had been occupied by the brother of defendant, who had no knowledge that it was there. Defendant stated that he had tea, at the hotel on the night of October 16. After tea he went into his brother's room, which he left later owing to a row. Witness was told by someone in the room of the hotel to take the cort out of the bottle of whisky. The magistrate pointed out that defendant in serving other natives ivitli liquor was liable to a fine of £50 oi three months' imprisonment. On the . charge of theft defendant was fined £>l I with costs 12s, in default one month'; 1 imprisonment. On the other enara;<: j .defendant was fined £2 with costs 12s | in default fourteen days T*imprisonment The terms of imprisonment were mad< cumulative. A fortnight was allowed ii ' which to pay the fine. ALLEGED THEFT. Arthur Joseph Corrigan was ehargei with stealing, a tyre tester valued ai 7s 6d, the property of Charles West pleaded guilty.

Serjeant Henry stated that manypetty thefts from motor garages had i taken placel in Hawera. There were two previous convictions against defendant, and three years' probation, to* which he had been sentenced at Wan^anui on October 11, 1921; had just expired, i Defendant stated that he had no intention of stealing the tester. A conviction was recorded^ and defendant was ordered to come up for sentence on Thursday next, and was ordered to report daily to the police in the meantime. . >! BREACH BY MOTORIST.

WiuTain Henry Russell was charged with having left a motor car standing in George Street after sundown without having lights attached. Defendant was filled 15s with costs 7s.