AFTER THE MATCH

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11250, 30 June 1922, Page 8

AFTER THE MATCH

UPPER HUTT LIQUOR. CASE. DEFENDANT FINED. Judgment was delivered by Air F. K. Hunt, S.M., at the Magistrate’s Court yesterday, in the case in which T. Quinn, licensee of the Provincial Hotel, Upper Hutt, was charged: (1) With exposing liquor for sale; (2) keeping open for sale of liquor; (3> selling to Hawker; and (4) selling to Pritchard. The magistrate, in his judgment, stated that the facts were that on May 27th last the police v isited the defendant a hotel at 9.5 p.m. On arrival the police went straight to the commercial room, whene they found four men. Two were young men living in the district, Henry and Hansbv, aged 22 and 24. These men had lio drink before them. SeniorSergeant Bird then said he wished to see the bar. and on the licensee opening the door they found the bar full of men, twelve in all, including the barman, who was in front of the bar amongst the men. ■Constable 'Holmes went through the men to the far end of the bar. There were two bottles of 6tont on the mantelpiece, both with froth still on theim. There were numerous glasses on th 4 counter, and wet rings on the counter made by wet glasses. A bottle of whisky stood in the centre of the counter, and one man had a glass of beer in his hand. The senior-sergeant said to the license: “This is a serious state of affairs, Mr Quinn," and the licensee made no reply. He made no explanation, and gave no reason for the men Ueing on the premisesi W hen asked - to leave the premises one of the men said: “Well, sergeant. I don t suppose there is much harm in our having another drink." The defence, the judgment continued, was that the defendant was president of the local football club, and had invited these men to come in and have a drink to celebrate the victory of the local clnb that day, but before he had had time to serve any one of them with a drink the police came in. “I do not •believe the defence," continued His Worship, "although seven of the eleven men were called for the defence. There are too many inaccuracies in it, and contradictions' of facts sworn to by the constables. Believing, as 1 do, the evidence of the police officers, the onus is, therefore, shifted to the licensee to establish affirmatively that there was no breach of the law. He has not done this, and must be convicted.” “X am not altogether satisfied," proceeded the magistrate, “with the explanation given by Henry and Hansbv, but they are very young men, and I will give them the benefit of the doubt. The charges ngainst them are dismissed. Kobortson, Edwards, nawker, McXab. Pritchard, Paul, and Black are fined 4Cls each and costs, and the other four £os each and costs. "Quinn is convicted on each of the four charges. On the first two, ‘exposing’ and ‘keeping open,’ he is fined .£lO each and costs, and on the selling charges he is convicted and ordered to pay costs."