POLICE COURT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19215, 2 January 1926, Page 12

POLICE COURT NEWS.

" A COWARDLY ASSAULT." FERRY EMPLOYEE STRUCK. OFFENDER FINED FIVE POUNDS. I An incident at the ferry tee on New Year's Eve resulted in the appearance of Alfred James Banks, aged 30, in the Police iCourt yesterday,»charged with assaulting Isaac Hutchinson Smith. Messrs. J. H. Fray and A. J. Stratford, J.P.'s, wore on the Bench. Senior-Sergeant Edwards said that when asked for his ticket at the, gate of the ferry wharf, accused felt in his pocket, and not finding a ticket he bought one. He went back to the gate and threw thp ticket at the ticket-collector's feet. The latter said: "That's not a very gentlemanly thing to do," whereupon Banks became aggressiva. Smith, another employee of the company, stepped in and received a severe blow on the face. It was a cowardly assault.. &

Accused, who pleaded guilty, was fined £5, with costs, in default seven days' imprisonment. Half the fine was ordered to be paid to Smith.

RESISTING : A CONSTABLE. "I do not remember anything about it, but I think it was the other way about. It was the constable who followed me," said Edward' Albert McCombe, when charged with being disorderly while drunk in Darby Street on Thursday evening, and •with resisting a constable in the execution of his duty. In spite of his protest, accused admitted both charges. The senior sergeant said that a constable spoke to accused and gave his mate a chance to get him away home. But McCombe followed the t constable and began to pull him about. When arrested,he resisted violently arid had to be handcuffed. -

Accused avas convicted and discharged for drunkenness and was fined £2, in default three days 1 imprisonment, on tho second charge.

TOOK ANOTHER'S WIFE TO DANCE. When William Frederick Ker and Edwin Lee were charged with fighting in Hobson Street, the senior sergeant said Leo had taken the other man's wife to a dance. Ker resented this and followed Leo at an early hour yesterday morning. A'fight resulted. A fine of £1 or 24 hours' imprisonment was imposed in each case. THEFT OF TOOLS DENIED. William John Hamilton, aged 67, admitted being drunk in Victoria Street on Thursday evening, bat denied the theft of a tin trunk and carpenters' tools valued at £5, on September 29. He was convicted and discharged for drunkenness, and was remanded until next Thursday on the theft charge. j.-. ; Charges of stowing away on tlie Kaituna at Sydney on December 24 were admitted .by Reynold James Pittam, aged 25, ar.d Hugh Ludlow, aged 27. Pittam was further charged with carnal knowledge of a girl aged 14 years and 10 months, at Auckland on September 20, 1925. Both men were remandad until next Thursday. A remand until next Friday was granted in the case of Walter Joseph Tickers, aged 30, who was charged with assaulting Frederick Murray so to cause actual bodily harm. A request for a remand until this morning in order that he might obtain legal advice, was made by George Nottingham, aged 38, who was charged with being found without lawful excuse on premises in Shortlarid Street at an early hour yesterday morning. * '■ A constable said' he was called by the proprietress of the premises, who stated that accused was not a boarder or a lodger there. Accused admitted entering the house bv an open window, but said that he wanted to see his wife. A remand was granted until to-day. MAORI'S THEFT OF SUITCASE. Theft of a suitcase and clothes valued at £5 was admitted on Thursday by Dick' Tainui, a Maori, aged 32. Detective White said that accused admitted taking the suitcase and pawning it, , , v ' Chief-Detective Cummings said the accused was a sneak thief. Sentence of two months' imprisonment was passed. Martha Jane O'ShaughneSsy was again remanded on three charges of illegal uge of an instrument. She will appear on January 7, bail being fixed at £250. Ernest William Gibbs, aged 36. charged with wilfully sotting fire to the house of Mr. S. H. Agar, 12, Ascot Avenue, i Remuera, was remanded until January 8.