CITY POLICE COURT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21578, 25 February 1932, Page 2

CITY POLICE COURT

Wednesday, Febbuart 24,

(Before Mr J. E. Bartholomew, S.M.) DRUNKENNESS. Stated by Sub-inspector Cameron to be a relief worker, who had been particularly noisy during an unemployed demonstration some days previously, Henry M'Laren Savage, a statutory first offender, pleaded guilty to a charge of drunkenness, and was convicted and discharged, William John O’Shea was also charged with drunkenness, and was fined 20s, in default 48 hours’ imprisonment. YOUTHS REMANDED. Two youths named Leonard John Booth and Ernest Norman Eric Marsh were charged with the theft of a motor headlamp, valued at 255, the property of the Ocean Accident and Guarantee Corporation, and on the application o f Detective Sergeant Nuttall, who state’ that further charges were pending, the; were remanded until March 7, bail being allowed in their own recognisance of £SO each and one surety of £SO each, conditional on their reporting daily to the police, Robert Phelan appeared on a charge of having broken and entered the premises of John William Goodman and stolen money and goods valued at £l2 5s lOd. —Detective Sergeant Nuttall asked for a remand, stating that the accused was concerned in some of the offences alleged against the two youths previously charged, and a remand until March 7 was granted accordingly. UNLAWFULLY ON PREMISES. Philip Gowland pleaded not guilty to being found unlawfully after hours on the licensed premises of the Metropolitan Hotel.—Sergeant Isbister stated that at 8.5 p.m, on February 18 he saw the defendant coming out of the hotel. On being questioned the defendant first denied having been on the premises, but later he said that he had stated that he had gone into the premises to sell an electrolux. —Evidence along these lines was given by the defendant, but the magistrate did not consider his explanation satisfactory, and fined him 20s, and costs ( 10b ). HOTEL LICENSEE CHARGED.

Harry Berry and' William Kingsley, an able seaman and leading seaman respectively on th? H.M.S. Veronica, were charged with being found unlawfully after hours in the Metropolitan Hotel. —ln connection with these charges, the licensee of the hotel, Michael Kean, was charged with keeping his bar open after hours and with exposing liquor for sale after hours. —A plea of not guilty was entered in each case.—Sergeant Isbister said that about a quarter past 8 on the evening of February 18 he visited the Metropolitan Hotel with Constable Medhurst. As he entered he saw two men hurry out of the bar and go upstairs. The two defendants then came out of the bar, and on their being questioned they said they had gone in to question the wife of the licensee as to the whereabouts of a girl named Peggy. —Constable Medhurst gave corroborative evidence.—Counsel for the defendant, Kean, stated that his client denied having kept his bar open or having exposed liquor for sale. On the night in question he had been repairing the beer pumps, and the two sailors, seeing a light in the bar, had found their way in. They were, however, immediately ordered out by the licensee’s wife. As they had explained to the sergeant they had merely gone to the hotel to obtain the address of the girl Peggy, whom they wished to play the piano at a party to which they were going.—After hearing the evidence of the three defendants the magistrate said that he would not be justified in discrediting the story told by Berry and Kingsley, and the case against them would therefore be dismissed. With regard to the charge against the licensee something more would require to be proved by the prosecution to disclose that an offence had been committed, and the informations against him would also he dismissed. A SERIOUS CHARGE.

Erlynn Mason Carr and Erana Harvey Carr were charged with incest in respect of their sister. —The court was cleared during the hearing of the evidence.—‘Detective Sergeant Nuttall produced statements signed by the accused in which they admitted the offence, and both pleading guilty, they were committed to the Supreme Court for sentence.