POLICE COURT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18690, 22 April 1924, Page 5

POLICE COURT NEWS.

LONG LIST OF CASES. MAJORITY DUE TO DRINK. A long list of cases, the great majority arising from over-indulgence in liquor, was dealt with by Mr. W. R. McKean, S.M., in the Police Court yesterday, but few of the charges related to offences of a serious nature. Twenty-seven persons were charged with drunkenness, and a number of others were charged with offences committed when drunk. A bluejacket, Thomas Goodman, aged ; 29, was fined £5, in default 14, days' imprisonment, for having used obscene language in Queen Street, and £3, in default seven days' imprisonment, for having used threatening behaviour. It was stated he had struck another man, who defended himself, and then ran away on the approach of the police. Accused had been the aggressor. When Conrod Stephen Powell, a young man, was charged with having used obscene language within hearing of persons in Myers ParK, and with having failed to comply with the terms of his release on probation, it was stated he had used the language complained of when he was lying on a sofa on the verandah of a house near the park. He had been having an argument with his sister, and was knocking a beer bottle against the floor. In February of this year he had been placed on two years' probation. Accused said he would not have used the language if he had thought it could be heard in the park. He asked to bo given a chance, and urged that he be fined and not sent to gaol. The magistrate remarked that accused evidently did not appreciate probation. Powell was fined £5, in default 14. days' imprisonment for using the language, &d on the charge of breach of probation he was remanded until Thursday for sentence.

"BORROWED" LANDLADY'S BAGS. The thoft of a suitcase, gladstono teg, and a rug, of a total value of £4 7s, was admitted by a young seaman, Alfred Denis Laurie. Accused had been boarding at a house in Auckland, and when he left he took the articles, which belonged to the landlady. Tie was subsequently arrested" at Opua, an'd the articles were recovered. Accused said he really only borrowed the bags to take his belongings to the ship which ho had joined, and he intended to return them. The magistrate expressed his doubts as to accused's intention to return the property, and imposed a fine of £5, in default 14 days' imprisonment. _ It was stated in Court that the shipping company was willincr to take accused back on the ship, which was leaving shortly for England. EPISODE IN RESTAURANT. An episode in a restaurant in Victoria Street on Saturday resulted in. the appearance of Mary Smith, aged 52, charged with drunkenness and committing mischief by wilfully breaking a cup ard saucer, Valued at ls,6d. The circumstance;:, as disclosed, were that whe'i the proprietor of the restaurant refused to serve her on account of her condition, she picked up a cup and saucer and smashed them against a table. Smith was fined £1 for drunkenness, and 10s and costs, lis 6d, on the mischief charge, the default, being fixed at 48 hours' imprisonment in each case, cumulative,