CITY POLICE COURT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20960, 25 February 1930, Page 2

CITY POLICE COURT.

Monday, February 24.. (Before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M.) DRUNKENNESS. Charged with drunkenness, three first offenders were each fined 20s, in default 24 hours’ imprisonmefit.—Similarly charged, Thomas Joseph Parker was convicted and discharged,' and Matthew Alexander Aitken, William George Riddle, Robert William Sutherland, Andrew Coburn Goodlet, and Harold Boreham, alt statutory first offenders, were each fined 20s, in default 24 hours’ imprisonment. THEFT AND FALSE PRETENCES. John Moffatt Wilson, who was represented by Mr Irwin, pleaded guilty to stealing £44 19s, the property of the Drapery Supply Association, and to two charges of having obtained by false pretences from the company the sum of fl 2s 6d.—Detective Sergeant Nuttall said that for the past 14 months the accused had been employed by the D.S.A. as a salesman of house-cleaners. He had done fairly well until November, when he converted part of the proceeds of several sales amounting to £44 19s to his own use. Later, he brought to the company what purported to be two signed orders for machines. He paid the amount of the deposit (£2 10s) on each order, and collected £3 12s Gd commission, so that he defrauded the company of £1 2e 6d in each case.—For the defence, Mr Irwin stated that, whereas the defendant had done well during the first six months of 1929, his earnings had dropped considerably during the latter half of the year, and he had experienced considerable difficulty in making ends meet. Counsel urged that the accused should be given a chance, and a remand was granted for a week pending a report f|om the probation officer, bail being allowed on the accused’s own recognisance of £SO, conditional on his reporting daily to the police.

• MAINTENANCE. Joseph T, Erridge_ was charged with disobedience of a maintenance order, the arrears on which were shown at £4l 19s, —Arrears over £lO were remitted, and the defendant was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, the warrant to be suspended so long as he pays the current order of 15s per week and 2s 6d weekly off the arrears.

Thomas Hopwood was proceeded against by his wife on the grounds of wilful failure to maintain.—No application was made for separation. The magistrate fixed maintenance at 35s a week and pastmaintenance at £5. Robert Johnston was proceeded against by his wife on a complaint for maintenance and separation orders.—Mr Baylee appeared for the complainant.—According to the evidence of the complainant, she and her husband had agreed to separate on several occasions, but they had always come together again. He was a man of violent temper, and at different times he had assaulted her. Finally, he had struck her and had pushed her headinto a tub of cold water. She had received only a few shillings from the defandant during the last two months, and ever since 1925 she had practically kept! the household going.—The orders were granted, maintenance being fixed at 25s a week, and the defendant wad ordered to pay costs (£2 2s), NO APPEARANCE.

Frederick Charles Denham was to have been charged on remand with having been intoxicated whilst in charge of a motor car, but on his name being called there was no appearance of the defendant. —On the application of Sub-inspector Cummings, an order was made for the issue of a warrant for the arrest of the defendant.