POLICE COURT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13347, 29 November 1906, Page 7

POLICE COURT NEWS.

ILL-TREATING A HORSE.

At the Police Court yesterday, before Messrs. Joshua Jackson and R. O. Hendy, J.R.'s, a Devonport carrier named Richard H. Davis, pleaded not guilty to a charge of cruelly ill-treating a horse. Sub-Inspector ('■< rdon prosecuted, and'ac- * cused was undefended. Charles Newton, employed by the Auckland Gas Company at Deyonport, stated that on the 12th inst. the accused's horse s jibbed outside the gawvorks at Devonport. 8 Accused struck the horse several times on * the hindquarters with a whip-handle. He * then picked up a piece of wood, and hit ■' the horse with it. The wood broke, and •' accused beat the horse with a piece of the broken wood. The horse then pulled the * vehicle a little way and stopped. Accused 1 thereupon obtained a shovel, and hit the • horse several times on the head with it. ' In witness' opinion it was a case of "brutal ' cruelty." Witness complained to the police 8 about the matter. 5 In answer to accused, witness said it l ' was an old shovel which was used. He saw the horse trying to bite accused. Ascused's horses were well looked after. ' William Shaw, also an employee of the i Auckland Gas Company, said ho saw ac- - cused strike the horse with the whip and a I piece of timber. , Questioned by accused, witness said he ' saw the horse snap at accused. To Sub-Inspector Gordon: Witness did ; not know that accused had been fined on > two occasions for cruelty to animals, i Garnett Bennett, residing at Devonport, I said he saw accused ''poking" the horse ( with a piece of wood. To Accused: It was a sharp piece of ; wood. This closed the case for the prose* > cut ion. » Accused, on oath, said lie only "tapped" i the horse with a bit of a batten. He did ; not use the whip on the horse's head, nor did he " prod " the horse -with a piece of wood. He admitted hitting the horse with' J the shovel, but said he did so in order to protect himself. from being bitten. The Bench held that the charge had been proved, and fined Davis £5 and costs. AN IMPUDENT THEFT. ,- John Robinson, a middle-aged " man, pleaded not guilty to stealing a -pair of shoes, valued at ,8s 6d, the property of James Dawson. Detective Henderson, who prosecuted, slated that the theft was an impudent one. On October 23 accused and a man named Dunn went into the complainant's shop in Victoria-street, where Dunn sold a blanket. The complainant had just placed a pair of shoes at the shop door before, accused and Dunn entered the shop, and when they I left the shoes were missed. About a week { afterwards accused came back to the comi plainant's shop, and wanted to sell the J stolen shoes. He was afterwards arrested. The complainant gave evidence in support I of Detective Henderson's statement. Accused said a man had given the shoes to him, but he did not know his name. He was sentenced to three months' im- : prisonment. . REMANDS. ' A young man named John Hanslow, alias j John Smith, was remanded' for eight days on the . charge of stealing two watches, j valued at 18s 6d and 9s respectively, the property of Peter Choy. Bail was allowed. , - - Mcthven G. Cox. a young, well-dressed man, was remanded for a week on tho charge of stealing a pair of opera glasses, valued at £2, the property of Frederick E. Ewari. \ ' ' , . ATTEMPTED SUICIDE. Edward Deering, who had attempted to commit suicide by jumping into the Auckland Harbour, and who had been remanded ;on several • occasions',' was brought before Mr. C. .0. fettle, S.M. > Mr. Kettle (to. ! ■accused)'::_Afti you willing to go to the Salivation Army Home?, Accused: Yes, sir. | Mi-. Kettle": . Will you keep the promise you made me, that you will not think of ! this again? Accused: Yes. Mr. Kettle | discharged Deering on his promising to go j to the Salvation Army Home. : , —— : MISCELLANEOUS.

i Philip T. Bent; charged with driving his I horse and vehicle at- other than a walking I pace round the comer of Jervois Road and King-street, and With failing to chain the wheel of his vehicle, was fined ss. and costs 7s, on each charge. Frank Hunt, a young man. pleaded not guilty to a charge of intending to desert his Wife, Eliza I'.' A.' Hunt. Complainant I stated that her husband had been drinking i heavily, and had told her that ho was goj ftig to leave her and the country. He- ' fendant "said he had no intention of desertI ing his wife. He was ordered to contribute I 355. per week for (he maintenance of his I wife and child. A fine of 5s and cost? was imposed upon John Huinby for allowing his horse and vehicle to remain other than parallel with the tramlines in Ponsonby Road. Six persons wen. charged with drunkenness. Thomas Toppin and William Thompson, second offenders, were each lined 20$ and costs, or in default seven clays imprisonment. Violet Williams, a previous offender. was fined 10s and costs, or in default 48 hours' imprisonment. Three first ! offenders were each lined 5s and costs, or ill I default 24 hours.