CITY POLICE COURT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22713, 28 October 1935, Page 2

CITY POLICE COURT

Saturday, October 26. (Before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M.) DRUNKENNESS. Courtney Wilfred Higgs and Albert Norman Sutherland, charged with drunkenness, were each fined 10s, in default 24 hours’ imprisonment.—A first offender, who was similarly charged, was remanded for eight days for medical treatment. A REMAND GRANTED. A man, suppression of whose name was ordered, was charged with attempted suicide, and was remanded for a week. THEFT OF BICYCLES. John Donne Collins pleaded guilty to having, at Invercargill, stolen a bicycle valued at £5, the property of Charles Mumford. He was also charged with the theft, at Dunedin, of a bicycle valued at £4, the property of Arthur Logan, and of another machine valued at £6, belonging to David Gower Bell. —Chief Detective Young stated that the accused had stolen several bicycles at Invercargill, and had then gone on to Oamaru. Passing through Dunedin, he stole the two bicycles which were the subject of the charges and sold them to a dealer for £1 and £1 7s 6d respectively. He was arrested in Oamaru while attempting to sell another stolen machine, and was sentenced to a month’s imprisonment.—The accused said that he had been in Borstal and had been discharged with only 17s in his possession. He was stranded in Invercargill, as he was not known there, and tried to gel back as far as Kurow. He realised that he had been guilty of a fool’s trick and was sorry for it. —His Worship said that apparently the accused had made quite a habit of stealing bicycles, and imposed a sentence of one month’s imprisonment on each charge, the terms to be concurrent. —On the Invercargill charge, the accused was remanded to appear before the court there on October 30. A MEAN ACTION. Fred Green pleaded guilty to having, at Broad Bay, stolen an axe valued at os, the property of William Raynbird. Senior Sergeant Packer said that the complainant, who lived at Broad Bay, was a returned soldier and a cripple. He asked the accused to come to his home to make him some cigarettes, as his wife was absent, and gave him afternoon tea. As the accused was leaving, he picked up an axe, which was lying near the door, and took it home. He kept it for some days, and, when interviewed by the police, said he had not had time to return it, but had intended to do so. He had previously been convicted on a charge of wilful damage.—The magistrate said that in view of the complainant’s circumstances and condition this was a particularly mean action, and, fining the accused £2, ordered him to pay -witness's expenses (5s 6d). in default seven days’ imprisonment. MOTORISTS CHARGED. Alfred Edward Arundale pleaded not guilty to a charge of being drunk in charge of a motor car, and was remanded until November 1, bail being allowed in his own recognisance of £25 and one surety of a like amount. Gustave Neilsen and Jack Williamson Brockie, who were represented by Mr J. C. Robertson, were charged with being drunk in charge of a motor car.—Applying for a remand, Mr Robertson said that the two accused were in a motor car which had been involved in a collision. Neilsen denied that he was driving the car, and counsel understood that Brockie accepted full responsibility.—A remand until November 1 was granted, bail being allowed in each case in self of £25 and one surety of a like amount. INTOXICATED MOTORIST. Stanley Frank Bell, for whom Mr J. G. Warrington appeared, pleaded guilty to being drunk while in charge of a motor car. —Senior Sergeant Packer said that the accused had first come under the notice of the police at the corner of Stuart street and Moray place on Friday evening, and as a result of complaints received was subsequently located at 7 o’clock. He was taken to the Police Station, and was found to be in a drunken condition.—Mr Warrington said that the accused was a truck driver in the employ of his father at Cromwell. He had brought his father’s car to Dunedin, and, meeting several friends, had been drinking, with the result that the liquor had gone to his head. In view of the fact that the accused was employed as a truck driver and of his age (17 years), counsel asked that his licence bo not cancelled. — The magistrate said that in view of the frequency of such offences too much consideration could not be extended to motorists on account of their circumstances or conditions of their livelihood. The sentence in such cases must be in the nature of a deterrent, and, as such, bring home to the accused and others their responsibilities when in charge of motor cars. The accused would be fined £5, with medical expenses (fl Is), and his licence would be suspended for three months.