POLICE COURT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18059, 6 April 1922, Page 5

POLICE COURT NEWS.

LIQUOR AFTER HOURS. LICENSEE AND BARMAN FINED. A charge of having kept his premises open on March 9 for the sale of liquor after legal hours was admitted by Ernest John Morrison (Mr. Johnstone), licensee of the Commercial Hotel, who appeared before Mr. J. W. Poynton, S.M., in the Police Court yesterday. Counsel said tho licensee was absent on tho evening in question, but his father, John Morrison, was in charge of the premises Both the Morrisons bore excellent records, and the elder regrotted that he had misinformed tile police when men were found drinking upstairs. The police evidence was to the effect | that between 9.30 and 10 p.m., when ! the police entered the hotel, they heard 1 a beL! ring in the private bar upstairs as they passed the office where Mr, Morrison was sitting. They found two boarders and five others in the bar and although they were not actually drinking, there was evidence that liquor had been consumed. On being questioned Mr. Morrison denied all knowledge of the bell, but the button was found in au inconspicuous place in the office. There was a lot of illicit drinking in the city now. Defendant was fined £5 and costs lis, and James Bolger, tho barman at the hotel, was also fined £5 and cost 3 for having supplied liquor after hours. "A BROTHERLY AFFECTION." For having behaved in a disorderly manner in Customs Street by interfering with passers-by, Thomas Arthur Reid, aged 58, was fined £2, in default three days' imprisonment. Arising out of this case a brother. Richard Reid, aged 33, was charged with having assaulted Constable Rimmcr in the execution of his duty. The constable said that when ho was arresting the first accused the latter attempted to free his brothher, and gave trouble to witness Accused was also fined £2, in default three days' imprisonment.

MISCELLANEOUS OFFENCES. Thomas Finnigan, aged 65, who was found drunk for the third time in six months, was sentenced to seven days' imprisonment. Philip Percival Gardner, aged 41, who had been remanded to enable friends to take charge of him, was brought up again on a charge of vagrancy. It was stated that his friends were not willing to accept the responsibility, and a d-.vior certified that he was weak minded, but not sufficiently so to commit to an asylum. Accused said that tho Rev. Jasper Calder had some plans for his future, and the case was further adjourned for inquiries to be made. James Eden Brown, aged 69, who was stated to bo in a filthy condition, was remanded for a week to be cleaned up.

BREACHES OF BY-LAWS. A list of police prosecutions for various breaches of by-laws was dealt with. For leaving vehicles una'tended for longer than the by-law permitted, F. Blackmoro was fined £1 and lis costs; T. J. Corin, ] A. S. Oxley, and R. Adams, 10s and Sis I costs. Stanley Hattaway, for failing to : keep to the left side of Marine Square, i Devonport, wan fined 10s and £1 3s I costs; Walter Luplon, for allowing his : bull to wander in Great. North Road, ; 10s and £1 3s costs; and John Campbell i McKay, for failing to comply with the | directions of a constable in Queen Street, |.£1 and £1 Is costs. For having failed ! to display number plates properly, Meyer i Robinson and William Kirk wood were I fined £1 and 10s respectively, with 9s ! costs. James Henry Lonergan was fined £1 and 9 S costs for having driven in Mount Street without sufficient lights and with an indistinguishable number i plate, and Christopher Holt Loi/jh was j fined 10s and 9s costs for driving in Karangahapo Road with insufficient 1 lights.