MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Northern Advocate, 21 July 1917, Page 2

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

SWEENEY CASE RE-HEAR*!).

FINE REDUCED.

In the Magistrate's Court, Whangarei, yesterday morning, before Air E. W. Burton, S.M., there was a rehearing of the case Police v. John Sweeney. At the last periodical sitting of the Court, Sweeney had been charg. Ed "that.he did assist one Patrick Mc'Niamara in the commission of an offence, to wit, supplying you the said John Sweeney (a Maori) with liquor for consumption off licensed premises within a proclaimed district." For this offence Sweeney was fined £30, in default three months' imprisonment. An application was subsequently made by Mr W. A. Carruth, on Sweeney's behalf, for a re-hearing of the case, with a view to getting some reduction of the fine. The application, was dated July 11, and was made by Sweeney on the following grounds: "(1) No summons was ever served upon me to appear to answer the said charge. "('2) I was taken by surprise when charged in the Court yesterday, and Wad no time to consider my position. "(3) That I have but an imperfect knowledge of the English language. "(4) I "was not previously warned by the police of the effect of my statements in the case heard j r esterday against the said Patrick McNamara. "(5) That had I known that I was also to have been charged with this offence, I would have had counsel to appear for me. "(6) That I think the fine is excessive. " (7) That I am absolutely without means to pay the amount of the fine, and must suffer imprisonment, in which case my wife and four young children will be great sufferers."

The result of the re-hearing was that Sweeney was convicted and fined £15 (a reduction of £ilo on the original sentence), the fine to be 'paid at the rate of £5 per month.