POLICE COURT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18211, 3 October 1922, Page 5

POLICE COURT NEWS.

DISTURBANCE IN STREET.

BLUEJACKETS INVOLVED.

The outcome of a disturbance in Customs Street on Saturday evening was the appearance of four bluejackets in the Police Court yesterday before Mr. J. W. Poynton, S.M. "Stanley Jenkins was charged with having used obscene language; William Gwynne and William Brown with having obstructed the police; and Ivor William Ackerman with having obstructed and resisted the police and having wilfully damaged a constable's fountain pen, valued at Is. All pleaded not guilty. Constable Bonniface said that when be was arresting Jenkins, Brown obstructed and kicked him: Gwynne obstructed him by crowding in on him when getting his prisoner to a taxi while Aokerman assumed a hostile, fighting attitude, being later arrested by Constable Gatehouse. Further evidence' regarding tho episode, which attracted a crowd of people, was given by Serceant Coleman and Constables Todd and Gatehouse. Jenkins denied having used tho language, complained of, though he had beard it. Ackerman and Brown said they were told that their mates were in trouble and went over to the crowd to see what was wrong. They did not dcr anything, nor had they time to do anything, but were arrested. Ackerman admitted that when aomeone caudit hold of hkn from behind, '&*> straggled, but ho contended he did not know then that it was a constable. Ho was willing to pay for the damaged fountain pen. , . Gwynne denied having obstructed the police. .. , .. The magistrate said that sailoni were allowed considerable leniency when ashore. In case of trouble it was their duty either to assist the poiice or to stay away from the scene altogether. If they saw a shipmate being arrested, they should not imagine it was for nothing, and go to his assistance. Thev must not interfere in that wav for it might cause a riot, which mMit result in the death of some person. If thev thought anyone was not receiving iustice thev conld go to the Court next day and tfiev would be listened to sympathetically. ' Mr. Poynton said he considered that Brown was tHe worst offender. His was a seriotis offence and he would be sentenced to 1* days' hard labour. Ackerman's case was not so bad. Apparently he bad become excited. Ho would b« fined G2 and ordered to pay £1 Is for damaging the constable's fountain p«n. Regarding Jenkins and Gwynne, the magistrate said there seemed to be a doubt in their cases.. They were both discharged.

BREAKING AND ENTERING. Four charges of breaking and entering and theft were admitted by Tukarawa Pomare. a Maori, aged 38. The evidence showed that on the night of September 5, a house in Market Road, Epsom, occupied by Mr. Harry Maxfield, was entered, and provisions and clothing, valued ?.t £2 10s, stolen : two nichts later Mr. G. T. Bayley's dwelling in Mount St. John Avenue, Ep9om,°was entered and clothing, valued at £6. stolen. On the night .of .September 6 articles valued at £4 15s were stolen from Mr. W. P. Endean's residence, Judge Street, Parnell, while four nights later the dwelling of Mr. A. G. Buchanan, in Gladstone Road, Parnell, was entered and eoods valued at £2 ss. taken. Detective Knight produced a statement by accused admitting the offences, all of which had been committed at about 2 n.m. Accused pleaded guilty to all charges, and was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. &

"AN IMPENITENT THIEF." The theft of a purse containing £13, was admitted bv John Henry Labrum (Mr. Cahill), aged 20. Detective O Brien produced a statement bv accused in which he said ho was staying with his married sister at Huntlv hist month and when h 0 left to coiie to Auckland he took the purse and money. He bad spent about £4. Counsel asked that accused be given a chance and admitted to probation. ChiefDetective Mcllveney drew attention to \:£o fact that accused had been convicted of theft when a boy. The magistrate said he could not admit accused to probation. Apparently he was an impenitent thief. Three months imprisonment/ was imposed. . FOUND QN A ROOF. When John Andrews was charged with drunkenness and vagrancy, it was stated that he had been found on the roof above a Queen Street shop on Saturday night, and when questioned by a constable, said everything appeared to be a Man* and he did not know how he got there He was under the influence of drink at the time. the explanation offered in Court was that accused had gone to see a friend in an adioinincr building and had fallen out on to the roof below. Andrews was fined hi for drunkenness. The Tagrancy charge was dismissed. THREE MONTHS IN GAOL. Three months' imprisonment was imposed on Svdnev Herbert Gordon Doyle, aged 29, who admitted having stolen a wristlet watch; valued at £5 from the kitchen of a Rotorua boardinghouse in a statement to the police, accused said he had left the watch with a jeweller in Hamilton to bo repaired, and so far as he knew it was still there. Accused was stated to have a bad record. PINED FOR ASSAULT, A. street episode on Saturday resulted in Alfred Shepherd, aged 54, being charged w th having assaulted Alfred McWna by Sing him with his fist. 10 was alleged that accused asked the other man for a cigarette, and when the request was refused, struck him in the face. Accused was fined £10, in default one months imprisonment, £2 to go to Mckenna. OFFENCES IN STREET. For having been disorderly while drunk, George F. Buckley, a young man, wa* fined £2 ancl cost*. _ Richard Thomas Stack was fined fid for having used obscene language »tt «Ul*jitreet.