IMPRISONED FOR CRUELTY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23830, 9 June 1939, Page 13

IMPRISONED FOR CRUELTY

BIRDS AND BEASTS LEFT TO DIE CARETAKER’S THEFTS OF LIQUOR (Per United Press Association) , • V AUCKLAND, June 8. • Sending William Alfred Laird, aged .61, to prison for a month for cruelty to birds and animals, Mr C. R. Orr Walker, S.M., in the Police Court to-day told Laird he deserved more. . • ■ Laird pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing a quantity of liquor valued at £4 12s, and also to a charge that between May 22 and 31, having charge of four cows, 15 budgerigars, 80 fowls, and two dogs, he omitted to supply them with sufficient food and water. The police said that Laird was employed as a handyman by a Remuera resident, and while his employer was on holiday at Rotorua lived in a detached room. He was given the run of the kitchen and pantry. While looking for a bottle of sauce in the pantry he discovered his employer’s liquor supply, and drank all of the. wine, whisky, champagne, gin and beer. When drunk he wandered . away leaving the animals to starve. The cows had not been milked and were practically ruined. All the budgerigars had died, also five fowls, while the remainder of the fowls and two dogs were in a bad way. “Having a weakness for liquor, Laird succumbed to .temptation and forgot about- the unfortunate animals,” said defending counsel, Mr Noble. . - Mr Orr Walker: But he must have realised when he woke up that the poor animals had not' been fed. Mr Noble: Probably his first thought was to get more liquor; The magistrate: Surely a sense of decency would cause him not to for- . get. , Laird was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called on for the theft of the liquor and ordered to make restitution. On the charge of cruelty he was sentenced to a month’s imprisonment with hard labour. '