POLICE COURT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18762, 16 July 1924, Page 6

POLICE COURT NEWS.

YOUTH'S STRANGE CONDUCT-

REMAND ON THEFT CHARGE.

'* This is a case for a half-way houso,** said counsel, when James Bruce Macowxi, aged 19 (Mr. Short), appeared before Mx. J. W. Poynton, S.M., at the- Police Court yesterday, charged with the theft of £1 18s from Robert Jenkins, on July 11. Counsel made a strong plea for leniency and said that accused had the mentality of a ten-year-old child. He had been dismissed from several positions on account of his peculiar conduct. On one occasion while employed at a flour-mill filling sacks with nour ho had half-filled thorn with chaff and then completed the job with flour. At a chocolate factory he had stolen chocolates and thrown them in the air in an attempt to catch them in Ids mouth, in full view of his employers. On another occasion he had taken a purse from a child's perambulator and -without investigating its contents, had hurled it on to a roof.

" That is only one side of the story, Tour Worship," rejoined Chief-Detective Cummings; "accused is not so simple as counsel would make out. He stole the money from the pocket of an employe© at a monumental mason's yard and when detected, ran away. He started his. criminal career in 1921 and has been before the Court six times previously on charges including breaking and entering and theft. He has been imprisoned and waa last committed to the Weraroa Training Fanm. I would like an adjournment until Thursday to ascertain how he was released from the farm so soon.

An adjournment was granted accordingly, counsel's application for the j;upprcssion of accused's name being refused.

r A COWARDLY ASSAULT.

"I do not believe in fines for unprovoked assaults," remarked Mr. Poynton, when sentencing Ivan George Stewairt, aged 21, t<> seven days' imprisonment lor having assaulted an old man named George Maisson. Masson, in evidence, stated that ho was mending a net on the King's Whari on Monday, when accused, with an oath., rushed at him, and struck him on the head, inflicting a painful wound. Accused was "a stranger to witness and his attack was unprovoked. On a charge of having used obscene language accused was convicted and d:ischarged. A WOMAN IMPRISONED. One month's imprisonment was imposed o:q Ada Warner, aged 48, for having used obscene language in Cook Street on Monday. Accused was convicted and discharged on a charge of drunkenness. CHARGES OF VAGRANCY. A young Maori woman, Mattie Agnew, aged 26 (Mr. Clark), appeared on remand charged with being an idle and disorderly person having no visible means of support. Senior-Sergeant Rawle said that accused's father was willing to take her back and had remitted her steamer fare. She was discharged and ordered to be placed aboard the steamer, which was to leave in the afternoon. Edward Lynskey, aged 67, whose case was adjourned on Monday so that inquiries could be made whether the Little Sisters of the Poor would have him admitted to their home, was again before the Court charged with being a rogue and vagabond, found unlawfully on the Newmarket School premises on Friday morning. Mr. Poynton said it was with great hesitation i that lie sent accused to those good ladies, i The case was adjourned for 12 months on I condition that accused stayed at trie j home and behaved himself. I

ALLEGED VALUELESS CHEQUES. A remand until July 17 was granted in the case of Thomas Allan Lodge, aged 21, who appeared on charges of navimg attempted, by means of a valueless cheque purporting to be signed by F. A. Lodgo, to obtain from Henry Jiggens the sum of El 2s 6d, and of Raving fraudulently obtained from Thomas Cook the 3um of ■CL For allegedly forging and uttering a cheque for £4 at Kauroa on June 7, Brio John Mercer, aged 22, was remanded io appear at Hamilton on July 18. ONEHUNGA BY-LAW CASES. An unusual number of cases of infringement of the borough by-laws occupied ilie Onehunga Police Court yesterday, the sitting lasting until well after the usual hour. Mr. W. R. McKean, S.M., presided. Tho long arm of the law was Illustrated in a charge relating to an incident ou April 5 last when a motor-car rushed round the corner of Trafalgar Street and Auckland Road, smashing two verandah poles at Mr, J. Robins' store. After diligent inquiries the police made good their case against Charles William Simpson, who was fined £2 for negligently driving his car, and also for driving without a certificate. Frederick Lovelock, charged with an offence committed six weeks ago, was fined £4 and costs for negligently driving his motor-car and for passing a stationary tramcar near the Onehunga Post Office.