Sly-Grogger Sent To Gaol For Month

Northern Advocate, 14 April 1944, Page 4

Sly-Grogger Sent To Gaol For Month

“Any person carrying on this traffice must know that it means a term of imprisonment,” said the magistrate (Mr Raymond Ferner) in the Whangarei Court today, when sentencing Gordon Robert Green, 34. truck-driver, of Whangarei, to one month’s imprisonment with hard labour on a charge of selling liquor without a license. On a second charge of selling or supplying liquor to a member of an armed force when in uniform for consumption elsewhere than in the place where it was supplied Green was fined £5 with costs. Green admitted both charges. Senior-Sergeant A. Henderson said that Green, a married man with three children, lived in Cairnfield Road and the police had received information that he was selling liquor there. A watch had been kept one night by Constable F. A. Davis, who had seen two American servicemen and two women outside the house • and a New Zealand serviceman going in. Soldier Intercepted He had heard the sound of a case being opened and the clinking of bottles and had intercepted the soldier as he was leaving, discovering that he had six large bottles of beer, for which he had paid 12/-. An American had then approached the constable, saying that he had gone there to get beer and had paid part of the money. While the constable was at the house a taxi containing American servicemen and a woman had arrived. Interviewed, Green had said he had a case cf liquor in his truck for his own consumption and the constable had found that the case contained 54 bottle, six having been removed. Green had admitted selling six bottles to a soldier whom he had thought was a friend of his. A threegallon keg and five-gallon keg as well as a number of empty bottles had been found, althouh Green had claimed that the kegs had been empty when he received them.

Recognised Place From information in possession of the police Green’s house was a recognised place where liquor could be purchased as was borne out by the fact that taxis containing servicemen were visiting there, said Senior-Sergeant A. Henderson. Green had admitted having bought in three weeks liquor costing £l3. As far the police knew lie had not long been operating and had not charged above the usual price. . J J In a long explanation to the magistrate Green said that this was his first time in court. He had bought the liquor for his own consumption and that of friends visiting the house. He had not kept liquor for sale outside and this was the only occasion he had sold any. He believed that his work in carrying beer to the hotels had led to the belief that he was selling liquor. The magistrate imposed sentence as stated and ordered confiscation of the beer found at Green’s house, as well as its sale, proceeds to go to the public account.