SHIP DESERTION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23860, 10 January 1941, Page 9

SHIP DESERTION

RADIO OFFICER'S CASE TWO MONTHS' HARD LABOUR COMMENT BV MAGISTRATE A ship's senior radio officer was brought before Mr. F. H. Levieu, S.M., in the Police Court yesterday on a charge of desertion. Accused was John Joseph Amos, wireless operator, aged as. Sub-Inspector Calwell said that prior to bis arrest on Monday accused had reported to the shipping company that lie had missed his ship. A representative of the shipping company concerned, R. 11. Henson, said that Amos had absented himself from his ship while it was in Napier last month, but he subsequently rejoined it, in Auckland on December .'U, He went ashore that evening, and when the ship had to leave next morning he could not be found. Company's Serious View "In our view this is a very serious case of ship desertion," said witness, "inasmuch as accused was a responsible officer on the ship. He was the senior operator and it was almost imperative that be should go with the ship. Cnder tlie present regulations a continuous watch has to be kept, and there was only one junior officer left. "The ship was delayed for an hour or more to enable a search to be made for him, and the ship was finally premitted by the naval authorities to sail without him. His actions could quite conceivably affect the safety of the ship and crew during the voyage, and for that reason we take a very serious view of it." "No Desire to Desert" Senior-Sergeant Sparks gave evidence that the accused came to the Police Station on January 3, and said he had missed his ship while ashore drinking. Accused said he had expected the ship to go to Australia where his wife was, but. its route had been changed. Friends had persuaded him to go ashore on New Year's Eve. and he did not remember what happened after that. He had had no desire to desert his ship. The magistrate told accused he was ai: essential man on the ship, and many lives might be lost because the ship was without a man of his experience. He was sentenced to two months' imprisonment with hard labour.