POLICE COURT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18520, 3 October 1923, Page 7

POLICE COURT NEWS.

A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION.

MAN FINED £5 FOR THEFT.

An unwise celebration . of a child's birthday was ascribed as the cause of a country visitor's lapse, -when Cecil-'Mc-Cullura, aged 29 (Mr. Dickson), was charged in the-Police Court yesterday before Mr. J. W. Poynton, STM., with;stealing 31yds; of cotton dress material, valued at £2, from a shop in Karangahape Eoad on Monday. Evidence was given that accused was seen taking Die material from outside the shop. He rolled it up, put it under his arm, and started to walk away. As he was not going into the shop he was stopped and was .taken, inside. He admitted -~ taking the material, and . offered to pay , for it. He ". had* had liquor. ■'_:]-- Counsel said that accused's action was due to the effects of drink. Accused had just come down from the country on a visit to town' with his wife. .Ho said it was his child's birthday on Monday. Ho celebrated the occasion and took too much liquor- He' had not been in trouble before, and was going back to' his worK. Counsel asked for a light penalty. ' Remarking that it was a bad way of celebrating /the child's birthday, the magistrate imposed a fine of £5..; .

ASSAULT ON A WAITRESS. : An assault on a waitress in a restaurant was admitted by James Duncan, a young seaman, who pleaded intoxication. The circumstances, as disclosed by the waitress' statement, which was read in Court, were that accused entered the din-ing-rooms about 7 p.m. on Monday,, and after being served with a meal made insulting remarks to the waitress. As a result she struck him with a towel. Accused then stood up, struck her, and knocked her against a wall. Other men then came to her. assistance. Accused alleged that he had been struck on the head from behind with a chair during the incident. ' The magistrate remarked that accused probably deserved it. Accused was fined £2 and witness' expenses, £1, the waitress to receive £1 of the fine. , . DISORDERLY WHILE DRUNK. When a young man, William Alfred Lardner, admitted being disorderly while drunk in Karaneahape Road, Senior-Ser-geant- Eawle said that- accused entered a dairy while drunk and attempted to take milk to drink from an empty can, and generally . behaved > in a disorderly manner. , Nothing was previously known against him. A fine of £1 was imposed..