POLICE COURT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19390, 27 July 1926, Page 13

POLICE COURT NEWS.

ASSAULT IN QUEEN STREET

"A BAD CLASS OF OFFENCE."

FINES TOTAL SEVEN POUNDS

"This is a particularly bad class o[_ offence," said Sergeant Calwell in the Police Court yesterday when Arthur Evans, aged 46. was charged with assaulting a woman and a constable, and with being drunk in Queen Street "I did not assault anyone," accused said. The woman said she Was standing in Queen Street on Saturday evening when accused, whom she did not know, went up and caught hold of her round the neck. He used bad language. Accused: Ido not remember it. Constable O'Connor said he arrested accused and took him to the police station in a taxi. Just when they were about to leave the taxi accused struck him on the neck and became violent. Sergeant Calwell said accused bad one previous conviction for drunkenness. The magistrate, Mr. .Poynton, imposed a fine of £5 on the charge of assaulting the woman, a further £2 for assaulting the constable, and convicted and discharged him for drunkenness. MOTOR-BUS WINDOW BROKEN "He should keep away from drink; lit has" been given a chance and this is the way he treats it," said the magistrate in the case of Clarence Arnold Edgar McKeown, aged 27 (Mr. Butler), charged with assaulting Benjamin Morris Lindsay, in August, 1925, with being drunk in Gundry Street on Saturday, with procuring liquor during the currency of a prohibition order," and with wilfully breaking a pane of glass, valued at 17s 6d. . Sergeant Calwell said accused was arrested in Newton on Saturday evening after having put his fist through the window of a motor-bus. When he was before the Court Inst August he was ordered to come up "for sentence on the assault charge, and was prohibited. This was Iris first outbreak since then. Counsel said accused had not been in trouble lor nearly a year now. He had a wife and two children. "If you break the prohibition order again you'll catch it," said the magistrate, in extending the order, for another year. Accused was convicted and ordered to make good the damage to the bus window and was convicted and discharged for drunkenness. SEAMAN FINED FOR ASSAULT. An incident at the Sailors' Home on Friduy evening in which two seamen participated had a sequel when Arthur George McGuiness, aged 52, pleaded not guilty to assaulting Herbert Alexander Hulford. Hulford said accused tried to make trouble and asked witness for his union ticket, but he refused to produce it. They then went outside, when accused, who was sober, struck him twice on the face. Witness had his hands in his pockets at the time. In a statement to the police accused denied being near the home on Friday evening, and also denied all knowledge of the assault. Sergeant Calwell said it; had since been confirmed that accused was at the home. A fine of £2 was imposed, £1 to go to Hulford for medical expenses. CASES OF VAGRANCY/ "He hus been hanging about the wharves for three months now doing no work," said Sergeant Calwell, when John Francis McCarthy, aged 34, admitted a charge of vagrancy. Accused was able-bodied and had been warned several Accused: "I have work on a farm to go to, and I will get back this afternoon if you will give me a chance." The Magistrate: Oh, yes,l will give you a chance. I will order you to come up for sentence within six months. An Austrian, Tony Valla, was charged with vagrancy at Swanson. Constable Smith said accused would not work. He was a nuisance in the district because he went round to houses begging for food. The women were up in arms about it. "This is the sixth time he has been before the Court for this class of offence," stated Sergeant Calwell. Sentence of three months' imprisonment was passed. In the case of Edward Joyce, aged 72, charged with vagrancy, a constable said he found accused near fhe Woi iters' Home early yesterday morning. He had been staying at the home but was not wanted there on account of his bad habits. "I am sorry, Joyce, but we cannot allow you to starve and perish in the cold," the magistrate said, in passing sentence of three months' imprisonment. MISCELLANEOUS CASES. "He made his way into a house and had to be ejected by the occupiers; he then refused to go away and became objectionable," said Sergeant Calwell in the case of Cyril Joseph Trainer, aged 24, who admitted being disorderly while drunk in Eden Terrace. Accused was fined £2, in default seven days' imprisonment. A fine of £5, in default 14 days' imprisonment, was imposed on Edward James Condell, aged 37, for using obscene language. He was convicted and discharged for drunkenness. Sergeant Calwell said accused was in a drunken condition on a Point Chevalier bus on Saturday. When asked for his fare he used bad language. There were women in the bus. As far as he knew, accused was generally a well-behaved citizen.