CITY POLICE COURT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20334, 16 February 1928, Page 7

CITY POLICE COURT.

" Wednesday, Fedkuaet 15. (Before Mr J. K. Bartholomew, S.M.) FIGHTING IN THE STREET. Charles Bedford and Francis Henry Taylor were charged with fighting in Moray place at 1 a.m. yesterday morning. —Sergeant Turner, for the police, said the accused had had a lot of liquor at a wedding party, and were both in a fighting mood.—Mr C. J. L. White appeared for Bedford, and said that his client had been driving a car load of people from the dance, when the other accused had jumped on the running board. Bedford, in pulling Taylor off the car, started the scuffle. He had been well punished already, and counsel pleaded for the suppression of his name. Accused was a married man, and had never been in trouble before. —Mr W. H. Carson, for Taylor, said that his client was only 18 years of age, and, as the matter was not very serious, he asked for the suppression of the accused’s name. —The Magistrate said that had Bedford contented himself with removing the other man from the running board it would not have been so bad, but he had gone further. Bedford would be fined 10s, in default 48 hours’ imprisonment, and Taylor 20s, in default a similar period. He said he did not consider it a case for the suppression of names. THREE MONTHS’ HARD LABOUR. Jack Wilmot Fink was charged with securing electrical goods, valued at £3_l6s, from Thomas Burns by means of false pretences.—Chief Detective Cameron said the accused had gone to Burns, giving the name Jensen, and secured the goods on the pretext that he was erecting an electric sign on a Cargill road hotel. This statement had been proved false. Some of the goods had been sold to the man actually erecting the sign in question, and others had been destroyed. The accused had several convictions against him. He was a max-ried man, and had for some time been living under the name Jackson. —Accused was very voluble and plausible in bis defence. He said he had changed his name because his previous convictions made it hard for him to get work. He had had every intention of paying for the goods, as he had purposed erecting a sign, but could not procure the other materials. He sold some of the globes, but the rest had exploded. —The Magistrate said the accused seemed very plausible. He would be sentenced to three months’ hard labour. SENT TO ROTO ROA. William Neilson Maclde, who had been remanded for medical treatment, was brought up for sentence on a charge of drunkenness. The Magistrate said that in view of the gaol surgeon’s report he would order the accused s detention for 12 months at Roto Roa. REMAND GRANTED. Robert Milos Rogers, charged with the theft of a quantity of goods the property of James Hall, and valued at 355, was remanded till Friday on the application of Chief Detective Cameron. Nominal bail of £5 was granted. —The Chief Detective said that the accused had forced an entry to the house of his foster parents, and stolen certain goods. He claimed that the stolen articles were his by right, and the police required time to investigate his claim. A SHABBY THEFT. Robert Henry Holland pleaded guilty to the theft of a bicycle valued at £5. the property of Harold Cartwright.—Chief Detective Cameron said the accused was 22 years of age, and a plastere”. He had borrowed the bicycle at Oamaru, and sold it at Gore for £l. At present he was earning £1 a day in Dunedin.—Mr W. H. Carson, for the accused, said he came of a good family. The theft was the result of rashness rather than criminal intent, aud the accused was prepared to make restitution. His employer was prepared to take him back. Counsel asked that in view of his client’s youth, good family, and prospects his name should be suppressed. —The Magistrate said that it had been a shabby theft, but as accused had employment to go to and had been punished to the extent of having been in custody for 24 hours, he would be convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within 12 mouths. He would also be ordered to pay £5, the value of the bicycle (which had not been recovered) to the owner. His_ Worship refused to prohibit the publication of accused’s name.