ABUSE OF TELEPHONE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21540, 11 July 1933, Page 10

ABUSE OF TELEPHONE

A NURSE ANNOYED FREQUENT FALSE CALLS MAN FINED £5 ON TWO COUNTS [FROM 01711 OWN CORRESPONDENT] HAMILTON, Monday An unusual case was • hoard before Mr. S. L. Paterson, S.M., in the Hamilton Police Court to-dav, when John Charles Bnilcy, a fruiterer, Frnnkton, pleaded not guilty to two charges of wilfully interfering with tho working of a portion of the tolfcphono system. Senior-Sergeant Power, who prosecuted, said that a social worker and nursing sister of St. John Ambulance, Mrs. M. U. Scott, had suffered considerable annoyanco during tho last 12 months by being constantly called to tho telephone at all hours of tho day and night. When sho replied tho receiver would be hung up or sho would ho greeted with a "howling" sound. A complaint was made, and as tho result of investigation, defendant was identified as being tho person responsible for two calls. Evidence was givon by Mrs. Scott and by several post offico officials. Tho lattor said that a monitor had been applied in order to ascertain tlio origin of the calls received by Mrs. Scott. Records were produced to show that theso calls had emanated from various slot machines, and two wero located on the Frankton station. Evidenco was given that defendant had used the slot machines on tho two occasions particularly alleged. For tho defcnco Mr. J. F. Strang submitted that tho offence described was intended to bo restricted only to mechanical interference with tho telephone system. Tho magistrate held that this was too limited a view to place upon the statute. Ho had do doubt that tho telephono system had been abused by defendant.

Defendant was convicted on both counts and was finod £5.