CITY POLICE COURT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22612, 2 July 1935, Page 2

CITY POLICE COURT

Monday, July 1. (Before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M.) DRUNKENNESS. A statutory first offender pleaded guilty to a charge of drunkenness, and was fined 10s in default 24 hours’ imprisonment. i THEFT. Ronald James Rackley pleaded guilty to having stolen an overcoat and other articles valued at £8 12s, the property of Harry Cuthbertson, and also to the theft of a suitcase and contents, of a total value of £1 15s, the property of Walter Thomas Higgins.—Chief Detective Young stated that on June 19, the complainant in the first charge had dinner at an hotel in the city, and while he was in the dining room left his overcoat, with his scarf and spectacles in the pocket, hanging in the hall. Later, the accused also went to the hotel, and leaving his old overcoat, took the one belonging to the complainant. Suspicion turned on the accused, and inquiries were instituted, but he was not located until four days later, when he was seen by Sergeant Forsythe coming out of another hotel and carrying a suitcase. On being questioned he admitted having stolen the overcoat, arid it subsequently transpired that he had also stolen the suitcase from the second hotel, where he had stayed for a day. The accused, who was a married man, was on relief work, and it' was difficult to understand where he got the money to stay at hotels. He had been before the court on a number of previous occasions.—Remarking that on the last occasion the accused was before the court, he had been given another chance, the magistrate imposed a sentence of three months’ imprisonment on the first charge, and entered a conviction on the other. \ MAINTENANCE. James Clark was proceeded against by his wife, who claimed maintenance and guardianship orders in respect of one child.—Mr 0. G, Stevens appeared for the complainant and Mr E. A. King for the defendant.—After hearing evidence by the defendant, the magistrate granted the orders and fixed maintenance at the rate of 4s 6d per week.