LIES OVER TELEPHONE

Northern Advocate, 21 January 1935, Page 8

LIES OVER TELEPHONE

A SERIOUS OFFENCE. MAORI YOUTH FINED. MAGISTRATE’S WARNING. “I could fine you £IOO on each of | these charges. You can see, therefore, how serious this telling lies over the telephone is. However, I do not see the sense of imposing a heavy penalty on you.” With these words, Mr G. N. Morris, S.M., severely warned George Pairama and fined him £1 and costs on each of two charges, when the case was heard in the Whangarei Police Court this morning. Pairama admitted that on January 13, at Maunu, he made a false statement to Frank Thackeray, , when using a telephone, by saying; “Don’t come down—l’ve got a man,” with the intent that Thackeray should act on that statement to his substantial detriment, and that on December 15 he made a false statement to , John Middleton, of Otaika, when using a telephone, by saying he was a certain Mr Evans, "and making statements in regard to Mr Middleton’s daughter, with intent that the statement should be acted on to the detriment of the person concerned. Senior-Sergeant Finch said defendant had been employed by Mr Middleton, but had been discharged. A few days later he rang up Middleton’s place, and, stating he was a Mr Evans, made statements about Mr Middleton’s daughter. In regard to the second charge, he had rung up Thackeray, who had obtained work and by his statement had caused him to break an appointment.