Whangarei Black Spot Cleaned Up By Police

Northern Advocate, 26 April 1944, Page 7

Whangarei Black Spot Cleaned Up By Police

Remarking that the police had cleaned up a black spot in Whangarei, the Magistrate (Mr Raymond Ferner) in the Whangarei Court today sentenced Thomas Henry Edmonds, 33, who admitted keeping intoxicating liquor for sale when not licensed to sell, to one month's imprisonment with hard labour.

Edmonds, a drover, who said he was earning from £9 to £lO a week at ! this occupation, had had his premises visited by Sergeant H. J. Harrington and Constable N. C. L. Smith, as a result of complaints received by the police, said Senior-Sergeant A. Henderson. They had found four American servicemen and three women at Edmonds’ house as well as six dozen quart bottles of beer and six bottles of wine, which Edmonds said he had bought for himself and his friends. It had been discovered that the liquor had been purchased by Edmonds’ wife under another name. Subsequently a watch had been kept on Edmonds’ house and it had been found that American servicemen were frequenting the place. Activities quietened down after a constable’s car had been recognised. Bad Case Cn another visit to the house on Monday, Sergeant Harrington and Constable C. Snow had found 27 large bottles of beer and four bottles of wine, while there were 38 empty large beer bottles and 20 empty wine bottles. Inquiries had revealed that Edmonds had bought beer and wine to a value of £3B/10/- during the past two months, showing that he was operating on a big scale.

Edmonds had been before the court before for other offences and this was a bad case. Recently an American serviceman had left Edmonds’ place, riding into town at break-neck speed and had then led the horse into a restaurant where considerable damage had been caused. Fie had then taken the horse to the estuary where it had become bogged and had left it there. This serviceman had been dealt with by the American authorities.

Edmonds had nothing to say and was sentenced as stated.