FINE OF £l00

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 10853, 19 March 1921, Page 7

FINE OF £loo

BOOKMAKER PUNISHED. “NO MORE FINES.” In the Magistrate’s Court yesterday James Paterson (Mr H. F. O’Leary) appeared before Mr F. K. Hunt, S.M., to answer a charge of using tho Star Private Hotel as a common gaming house and with trespassing on the Hutt Park racecourse on January 23rd last, he being deemed a person under section 33 of the Gaming Act to he prohibited from such racecourse. Chief-Detective Ward stated that the betting records found in possession of Paterson showed that between the dates of October 26th, 1920, and December Bth. 1920. 1337 bets had been made, and he mentioned that the average bet was about os. Detective Nuttall gave evidence to the effect that he saw Paterson on the Hutt racecourse on January 23rd, and requested him to leave because he was a bookmaker. Mr O’Leary held that Paterson acted bona fide, as he had not then been convicted as a bookmaker. The magistrate in imposing the maximum fim of £IOO, on the charge of using the hotel as a gaming house, said that Paterson was liable to imprisonment. For trespassing on the Hutt racecourse a fine of and costs was imposed. The magistrate intimated that this was the last time he was going to fine bookmakers.