HARD LABOUR

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 5 August 1931, Page 5

HARD LABOUR

CHRISTCHURCH COMMUNISTS SATURDAY’S DEMONSTRATION [By Telegraph—Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. The Magistrate, after hearing evidence in the cases against four men charged as a result of Saturday’s demonstration, said that there had been much contradictory evidence, but it was impossible for him to conclude that the police officers, as had been alleged, had at the risk of their owu lives incited the crowd to attack them. McKegney, on a charge of unlawfully resisting arrest, was • sentenced to three months’ hard labour, and Dodge, for resisting arrest, received two months’ hard labour. Riley was fined £5 for disorderly behaviour and MaKegney and Dodge £5 each for disorderly behaviour. Dodge and Riley were fined £2 each for taking part in an unauthorised procession. The Magistrate held that the charges of inciting to lawlessness were proven, but he did not wish to be unnecessarily hard on the men, who had been punished for other offences. He-dismissed tlie informations, using his discretionary powers under the Offenders’ Probation Act.

Riley asked for time to pay the fine, but he refused to accept the Magistrate’s condition that if allowed a month he should refrain in the meantiihe from associating himself with laWtesSnesk of a similar kind. Thereupon the Magistrate said that no time would be allowed and the fine must be paid forthwith, ,in default two months’ imprisonment. Harris pleaded not guilty to a charge of using insulting language in a public place, a charge of using indecent language being withdrawn. After hearing the evidence the Magistrate dismissed the charges, saying that he would give Hams the benefit of the doubt .