LIQUOR WITHOUT LICENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20890, 4 June 1931, Page 11

LIQUOR WITHOUT LICENCE.

SALE TO A CONSTABLE. t STOREKEEPER FINED £SO. [FBOM OUR OWN COHS.ESPONDENT.] TATTPO, Wednesday. A charge of having sold liquor without a licence was preferred against Hannah Joseph Habib, storekeeper, of Oruanui, in the Magistrate's Court before Mr. S. L. Paterson, S.M. Mr. Lochhead, of Putaruru, appeared for defendant, who pleaded not guilty. Constable Hodge, of Morrinsville, in evidence, stated that he proceeded to Taupo in accordance with special instructions and visited Oruanui in company with Constable Brown. He visited defendant's store and after some conversation handed defendant 10s 6d, asking for whisky. Defendant disclaimed having any for sale, but gave him sixpence change, and after asking him to wait outside brought him a bottle half-full of whisky. Cross-examined, witness denied that, he had stated that the whisky was for ft settler in tho neighbourhood who was sick.

Constable Brown gave corroborative evidence and referred to letters of complaint as to sly grog-selling in the district having been sent to the inspector of police, Hamilton. Witness gave evidenco as to seeing men entering Habib's premises on various occasions. >

Mr. Lochhead stated t;hat his client had decided to withdraw his plea and plead guilty. Counsel was instructed, however, by his client, that he had only consented to supply the whisky as he understood it was needed for a neighbouring settler who was sick. His client had also instructed him that since a prior; prosecution for a similar offence he had made a strict endeavour "to keep within the four corners of the law."

Tho prosecution produced a quantity of whisky that had been seized under a search warrant in a raid by Constables Brown and Hodge on Habib's premises. Defendant was fined £SO and costs, the fine to be paid within seven days. The liquor seized was ordered to be confiscated.