HIKURANGI COURT

Northern Advocate, 1 December 1925, Page 6

HIKURANGI COURT

POLICE CASES.

CAR DRIVEN OX RAILWAY.

A-number of police and civil cases 'were, dealt with at the Hikurangi Courthouse on Mondial. Mr I?. W. Tate, S.M., -was on the Bench. George Lyall Gibson was charged that on May 23 last he drove a motor car along the line at Waiotu. He was , also charged with trespassing on the j line. 'Constable J. Quiim stated that the ! defendant was driving his car from j Whang-area to Whangare'i. When he j reached Waiotu he unstapled the wire I and took the car on the line. The defendant, who pleaded guiflty, stated that the river was rising at the. time and he was unable to continue. He could not see how he could leave his car on the road; so he took it on the railway line and drove it along for about half a mile. The Magistrate said that the defendj ant could not go 'On the railway, and if a similar position occurred again j he must let the car remain on the road. The offence was .a serious one and very I unusual. Defendant would be convicted and fined 20/ and costs amounting to 20/. If such a thing happened again he would treat the matter more [ seriously. The second charge was j withdrawn. \ ! ABSENCE FROM SCHOOL. i Failure to send their children to i school on certain days in July and j August last resulted in two Maoris, | John Paratene and Horace Bennett i (being called upon for an explanation. ! Bennett stated that he had a large j family and the reason the children i were absent from school was on account of bad weather. They had to walk I a mile and a half to' the ferry and j then travelled 3J miles by launch to [ the school. \ j Paratene also said that the bad weather had prevented his children from 'attending the school. ». His Worship pointed out that the children had to be educated. The Education Department would not have raised the question if the children had been kept away any reasonable' time. The Act imposed a fine of 10/ and not less than 2/ for every week of absence. He was going to let the defeii'dsintS off this time with the minimum of 2/, making 8/ each for four weeks. They were also ordered to pay 7/ costs and £2 12/6 witnesses' expenses each. THEFT OF TOOLS. The theft of too'J-s last January and September from the Hikurangi Coal Company to the value of £15 was preferred against a young man, Robert Fleming Wilson. The accused pleaded guilty. Constable Quinn said that he had been employed by the Hikurangi 'Coal Company as a blacksmith's assistant during the time of the informations. He took the tools form his work to his home. He was now- employed in the town and his behaviour had been satis- ' factory Mr Briggs, who appeared for the ac-1 cused, said that he thought the ease i was one which might be met by a term j of probation. j The Magistrate said that the accused j had appeared before him last September and had been convicted and ordered to come up for sentence within 12 months. The present offence was corncommitted before that conviction, so His Worship would consider the circum- •■ stances as the same. | 'The accused was convicted and or- j dcred to come up for sentence within | 12 months, the Magistrate remarking ! that if he came up on a charge again j the punishment would be severe. Costs i amounting to 11/6 were imposed. |