GAMING OFFENCES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21480, 2 May 1933, Page 13

GAMING OFFENCES

I (TOBACCONIST FINED £IOO SEQUEL TO POLICE RAID ASSISTANTS also charged As a result of a visit paid by detccives to a tobacconist's shop in Hobson Street on Saturday morning, three men ppeared before Mr. F. K. Hunt, 5.M.,. n the Police Court yesterday charged Kflth breaches of the Gaming Act. The Leased were Thomas Curran, aged 55, [tobacconist, who, was charged with [using premises at 115 Hobson Street Lg a common gaming house, and Joseph /Dempster Cox, aged 25, electrician, Ind Harvey Alfred Magill, aged 17, Fboth of whom were alleged to have assisted in the management of a comLon gaming house. Curran and Cox ■pleaded guilty. Magill did not plead. [•All were represented by Mr. Mahony. E 'petectivt-Sergeant McHugh said that kj consequenco of complaints received [hy the police regarding the cond'uct of Cnrran's premises) a constable was 'sent ACT® autl experienced no difficulty in making bets with Curran. Late on Saturday morning a search warrant Vas executed at the establishment by J[r. McHugh and Detective Miller. They found Curran in a room behind bis shop, where, a telephone was installed. A quantity of betting material, together with £93 3s in money and three cheques for amounts totalling £6O, -were seized. The money and cheques were alleged to havo been used in connection with betting transactions. In an upstairs office, which was fitted with two telephones, continued Mr. McHugh, sheets were found which Bhowed that 234 bets, involving £134: 19s had been received by telephone up to about 11.30 that morning. Curran had previously been before the Court for gaming offences, but there was no suggestion that he was a "welsher." H<> always paid out. Cox and, Magill, who were also found in the building, were alleged to have assisted in managing the illegal business. The former had been fined some months ago for being found in a common gaming house, but Magill had not offended in the past. Magill had been engaged by Curran on Saturday morning and had been "in the busing" only about 2£ hours at the time the place was raided. However, he was nevertheless assisting. Remarking that Magill had not been I in the business long enough "to know what it was all about," the magistrate dismissed the charge against him. In requesting leniency for Curran, Mr. Mahony said accused was an eminently respectable citizen. The Magistrate: He does not pay too much attention to the law though, does he? !

Mr. Mahony: It is a purely technical offence. The magistrate said Curran had been fined £IOO early this year for a gaming offence, and he would again be fined £IOO, in default three months' imprisonment. This might be his last chance of obtaining the option of a fine. Time to pay was refused. Cox was fined £lO, with the alternative of . one month in prison. A week was allowed in which to make payment. WELLINGTON PROSECUTION WATERSIDER OUT OF WORK [BY TEIiEGBAPH—T-PHESS ASSOCIATION J WELLINGTON, Monday A waterside worker, George Morris, pleaded guilty in tho Police Court to a charge of bookmaking. He was fined £2o and costs. -The defence said th.it defendant was out of work, and took up bookmaking to augment his meagre earnings. Tho transactions were small.