CITY POLICE COURT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25804, 27 March 1945, Page 2

CITY POLICE COURT

Monday, March 26 (Before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M.) Woman Assaulted Stanley Baden Powell Hollow, for whom Mr E. J. Anderson appeared, pleaded guilty to charges of assaulting Daisy Evelyn Connell and of using indecent language in High street.—Senior Sergeant D. Vaughan said that about 11.30 p.m. on Saturday Constable McNamara met the accused and the complainant in High street. The latter complained to the constable about the accused's conduct and also about his language to her. In the presence of the constable, the accused again used indecent language, and struck the complainant in the face. The constable then arrested the accused.—Mr Anderson said that Hollow had been attracted by the complainant, but they had since parted. This former association was chiefly responsible for the accused’s inexcusable display of temper.—" Whatever the cause of the trouble may have been, you cannot be permitted to make a nuisance of yourself to the complainant or to the public,” the magistrate said. Hollow was fined £2 on the charge of using indecent language, and on the charge of assault he was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon within two years, a condition being that he did not molest the complainant or visit her place of residence. Motorist Fined A plea of guilty was entered bv Andrew Douglas McLennan, a skin dealer, to a charge of being intoxicated while in charge of a motor car.—Senior Sergeant Vaughan said that shortly after 5 o'clock on March 23 the accused’s car collided with the soldiers* memorial at Port Chalmers. The accused drove away, but the police noted the number of his car. Later the ear broke down at Sawyers’ Bay, where the accused was found in the driver's seat. When the police came on the scene the accused appeared to be under the influence of liquor. He was seen three hours later by a doctor, who, at that time, was not prepared to certify that tile accused was too intoxicated to be in charge of a car.—Mr I. B. Stevenson, who appeared for McLennan, said the accused was prepared to enter a plea of guilty and to admit that he had acted in a moment of panic in driving away after colliding with the memorial. McLennan, he said, was not in good health, and alcohol affected him more rapidly than it did most men. Counsel asked that the accused’s licence should not be suspended, as the car was essential to his business.— “ The legislature has decreed that a prohibition from driving for 12 months should be imposed in these cases, unless there are special circumstances,” said the magistrate. “In this instance I do not think there is any justification for not imposing the prohibition.” McLennan was convicted and fined £2O, and his licence was suspended for 12 months. Unlawful Conversion Charges of unlawfully converting a motor car, valued at £BO, the property of Frederick James Hinde; of stealing a torch valued at 3s Gd, also the property of Hinde, and of being unlawfully on enclosed premises, were preferred against Mervyn Allan Edwards, a plumber.—On behalf of the accused, Mr C. H. Stevens entered a plea of guilty to the conversion charge and pleas of not guilty to the remaining two charges, these being adjourned for hearing on April 9.—Chief Detective T. Y. Hall said that between the hours of 9 p.m. on March 17 and 2 a.m. on March 18 a car was removed from Leven street, Roslyn, and was later recovered in Cumberland street. The accused was arrested on another charge, and an article from the car was found in his possession. He had informed the police that he had attended a party, at which he had consumed some liquor, following which he had taken the car and coasted it down the hill. He had been unable to start the engine. Cases of the unlawful conversion of cars were becoming much too prevalent, Mr Hall added. —Mr Stevens said the accused was 24. years of age and had served overseas for two years. He had undergone a serious operation, and had been unable to settle down since his return. —The accused was placed on probation for 12 months and ordered to take out a prohibition order. Unlicensed Radio

Francis Leonard Heller, for using an unlicensed wireless set, was fined 25s and costs.

Charge of Receiving

The hearing was resumed of a charge against Sylvia Evelyn Helen Flowers (Mr C. H. Stevens), a married woman, aged 23 who had pleaded not guilty to a charge of receiving a rug, valued at £4, the property of Hugh McCallum, knowing it to have been dishonestly obtained.—ln evidence the accused denied statements made by a girl at the hearing on March 12. The girl, said witness, had brought the rug to her flat, but witness had not taken possession of It. —Cross-examined by Chief Detective Hall, the accused denied that she has assisted the girl to remove the label from the rug.— This young woman is married, but is separated from her husband. She has been associating with girls much younger than herself and has been leading a pretty fast life,” Mr Hall said to the magistrate.— The magistrate, admitting the accused to probation for 12 months, said he had no doubt that she knew all about the manner in which the rug had been obtained. She required some form of supervision.

Theft of Petrol A youth, aged 18, whose name was suppressed, was placed on probation for 12 months for the theft of 21 gallons of petrol, the property of’ W. att a . rf Tr ?, n * p ° r r . t ' Ltd—Chief Detective Hall said the accused had driven his parents car to the vard and siphoned the petrol frorn a truck. When he was interviewed by Detective J. Marshall, the accused had admitted the offence. This type of theft was difficult to detect, Mr Hall said, and the police regarded it as a serious matter In this case the accused had been seen and followed to his home by another motorist. Mill Employees Charged “ This is a despicable offence,” said the magistrate when George Thomas Sleeman, aged 31. Thomas Charles Findlater, aged 34 and John McCaw, aged 53, appeared on charges of theft from the Roslyn W oollen Mills, where they are employed. Sleeman was charged with the theft of a pair of socks, valued at 2s 6d; Findlater with the theft of four pairs valued at 12s, and McCaw with the theft of one pair of socks and one pair of stockings, valued at 7s 6d.—The pilfering of the goods was regarded in a very serious light by the mill management, said Chief Detective Hall Shortages in parcels despatched from the packing room had at times necessitated inquiries being made throughout New Zealand. Sleeman, he said, was a carpenter and casemaker at the mill, and Findlater was employed in the packing room. Each received £5 8s a week. McCaw was a foreman packer, and received £6 8s a week.—Mr D. J. Simpson said 'the men were still employed at tire mill, and the mill manage] had intimated that they would be kept on. He asked that the accused be granted probation, and that their names be suppressed.—The magistrate said that probation was not necessary in this case. Each of the accused was fined £3, in default seven days' Imprisonment. The request for suppression of the napies was refused. Remand Granted Robert Wark Johnston, a waller, was charged with the theft, on or about January 14, from the dwelling of Ruby Dulele Evelyn Milliner, of an iron safe containing money, jewellery, and other property belonging to Ruby Milliner and others, of a total value of £6o.—At the request of Chief Detective Hall, the accused was remanded to appear on April 9. Maintenance Order On behalf of the wife and two children, Mr J. P- Ward asked for a maintenance order against James Robert Stitchbury, a waterside worker, now of Auckland. Counsel said that inquiries had disclosed the fact that Stitchbury had earned £603 13s lOd in 47 weeks’ work, an amount much greater than the earnings he had declared earlier. He had consistently failed to provide adequate maintenance for his; family, and counsel suggested that the maintenance payment should be at least £6 a week.—Mr J. S. D. More, who represented Stitchbury, said there was a question whether the court had the jurisdiction to make an order. The defendant submitted that the separation had been brought about by the wife herself. —The magistrate, remarking that he was satisfied with the justice of the claim, fixed maintenance at £3 a week for the wuie and £1 10s a week for each of the two children. Past maintenance v-as fixed at £25.