POLICE COURT NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19567, 21 February 1927, Page 14

POLICE COURT NEWS.

MONEY FOR A TELEGRAM. THREE MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT. "The accused went to a post office and filled in a telegraph form with the words 'Please forward £1.0,' and then went round the telegraph office asking people for 2s with which to send it. On several occasions he received 2s or 2s 6d and spent the money on beer." In these words Senior-Sergeant Edwards described the methods of Albert John Mason, aged 57, who pleaded guilty in tho Police Court on Saturday to a charge of being idle and disorderly, with insufficient means of support. Tho semor-sergeant added that accused said he had had a good time at tho races and was "broke," but he did not want his. friends to know. He had several previous convictions. Sentence of three months' imprisonment was imposed by tho magistrate, Mr. Poynton. UNLAWFULLY ON RACECOURSE. A fine of £.lO was imposed on William James Trainor, aged 29, for being unlawfully on the To Awamutu racecourse during a race meeting. Trainor said ho knew ho was doing wrong, but he had to go on to the course to see his employer. He was working and his employer would pay his penalty if he was fined instead of being imprisoned. Chief-Detective Cummings: 1 understand that is so, sir. I have no objection to a week being allowed for payment. BREACH OF PROBATION. Percy Mathieson, aged 22, was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence within 12 months for failing to comply with the terms of his release on probation. Chief-Detective Cummings said accused had-been admitted to two years' probation for theft and had been ordered to made restitution of £9. He had not reported to the probation officer as required and ho did not return the money. Accused had been in hospital, but he could easily have written to the probation officer and avoided a lot of trouble. THEFT BY A YOUTH. "You have not sufficient capacity to be a successful thief —nobody lias —so you had best turn over a new leaf and go straight," was Mr. Poynton's warning to a 17-year-old youth who appeared for sentence on a charge of stealing a handbag, two rings and £4 10s in money, the total value being £l6 10s. The magistrate said accused was, not altogether bad, as he had returned the rings when he recognised how severely the owner felt her loss. Tho youth was admitted to probation for two years, an order being made for restitution of the property not already returned.