GAMING CHARGES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 9 January 1940, Page 7

GAMING CHARGES

MEN FINED TOTAL OF £225 [United Press Association] WANGANUI, Bth January. Fines totalling £225 were imposed j on three Wanganui men to-day in the Magistrates’ Court on charges of keeping common gaming-houses. The men before the Court were Charles Byers, who was fined £100; Thomas Clarke, fined £75; and George Cann, fined £SO. Detective-Sergeant J. K. Robertson stated that a search was made of Byers’ premises on 30th December, when it was found that 58 bets had been made and that £25 15s had been taken in bets ranging lrom 2s 6d to £3 10s. There had been a previous conviction against Byers. Mr C. F. Treadwell, who entered a plea of guilty for his client, said Byers had been fined £IOO on a similar charge more than two years ago. Betting transactions in the present charge were onethird of those in the previous conviction. Mr Treadwell asked that the penalty be made commensurate with the amount of betting that had been done. Mr Salmon, S.M., said there had been five previous convictions against Byers for the same offence. He had deliberately carried on in face of previous convictions and flouted the law. A fine of £IOO, with costs, was imposed. Referring to the charge against Cann, a billiard-saloon proprietor. DetectiveSergeant Robertson said that on 30th December Detective J. Murray had executed a search warrant and had found a little betting going on at the time of the first, race at Manawatu, 14s having been taken at the time of the search. Cann had been before the Court previously. Mr Treadwell, who entered a plea of guilty, said that on the previous occasion Cann had taken £6 10s in bets and had been fined £SO. In view of the small amount taken in bets this time he asked that the fine be made commensurate with the transactions. The Magistrate: If this had been the first conviction I would have dealt with it with a light fine, but k is the fourth conviction since 1934. A fine of £SO. with costs, was imposed Detective-Sergeant Robertson said Clarke’s premises were searched on 27th December. The amount of the bets taken was £l6 12s 6d, the bets ranging from 2s 6d to £2. Clarke, a tobacconist in Guyton street, said he acted only as an agent. Mr Treadwell, who appeared for Clarke and pleaded guilty, said Clarke was fined £IOO in Feilding. At that time the bets taken amounted to £SO; "his time the amount was only £l6 12s 6d. The Magistrate said that Clarke had had only two previous convictions and he would take that into consideration. A fine of £75, with costs, was imposed.