“QUITE HOPELESS ”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26774, 18 May 1948, Page 3

“QUITE HOPELESS ”

MAN SENT TO PRISON IDLE AND DISORDERLY CHARGE “ The defendant is well known to the police as he has caused a lot of trouble in his parents’ home and also at his brother's and sister’s homes. He appears to be affected by a drug or liquor, ’ commented Senior Sergeant J. H. S. Hogg when George Edmond Burton was charged before Mr J. D. Willis, S.M., in the City Folice Court yesterday morning with being an idle and disorderly person. The defendant entered a plea of not guilty. The senior sergeant said that as a result of trouble caused by Burton on May 7 Constable Williamson arrested him and he had been in custody since. The defendant’s father, in evidence, said his son had been taking sleeping tablets “X am afraid he is quite hopeless remarked the probation officer. Mr E. u Mosley. “ The defendant will have to be detained for some time in order to get the drugs and liquor out of him, said the magistrate in imposing a sentence oi two months’ imprisonment. Ship Desertion

A sentence of 14 days’ imprisonment with hard labour was imposed on Douglas Allan Davies, who admitted having deserted the ship Raranga at Lyttelton Mr J C. Robertson, who appeared tpr the agents of the shipping company,, said the defendant was 19 years of age, and was one of several men who had left the ship. The defendant gave as the reason for his action tne lact that n wanted to many a N . ew Zealand 8 1 1 He had been working in Eiunedm for a week, and had given himself up voluntarily. Remand Granted James Anglem Te Au, alias Jfmes Hoop Hunter was remanded until May 24 on a charge of the theft of 'a wallet valued at £1 5s and £23 in money, the property of Thomas McKeeman. Unlawfully on. Racecourse Wong Wai Fai and Herbert Joseph Young admitted charges o£ hi ?vmg bee iound unlawfully on the Foibury Fa . racecourse during a race meeting ai.d were each fined £3 and court costs Offensive Matter Ivan Edgar Mitchell and Burnley James Walker were each fined £3 _ and couit costs (10s) for casting offensive matter “For some reason this offence is becoming more frequent lately and it must be stopped,” commented the magistiate Unlawfully on Premises Charges of being unlawfully on licensed premises on April 17 last were admitted by Frank Culbert and David Longshaw The police stated that the defendant, were found in a bathroom. The defendants were each fined £2 and costs (10s) Licensee Charged Balfour Forbes McLean, licensee of the Broadway Hotel, who was represented y Mr A. G. Neill, pleaded not guilty to charges of exposing liquor for sale and having aided and abetted the sale ot liquor after hours. , . n Senior-sergeant r lTogg said that about 9 p.m. on March 2U last, a man named Mitchell had called at the Broadway Hotel in order to obtain board for the vieeKcnd. He was informed by a man at the door that the licensee was either in his office or in the bar. Mitchell could not find him in the office, so he went int the bar where there were about 3t) men. When Mitchell was leaving the bai a man came in and callqa out that the police were coming, and someone in the bar said: "AU out at the back When the police arrived they found three men and their bona fide guest in the bar, but in a shed at the back the police found 26 men. The licensee denied that the men had been in the bar. . ‘ After evidence had been given £y .the. police. Mr Neill contended that it had to be proved, so far as the aiding and abetting charge was concerned, that the licensee had “ active knowledge.” The only thing showing that the licensee was present at all was that he had opened the door to the police. The fact that four glasses were seen on the bar counter was not evidence of the exposing of liquor for sale, as there were seven persons In tne bar whom the police admitted had a right to be there. In reserving his decision, the magistrate said he had grave doubts whether he could convict on the aiding and abetting , charge. He .would refer. to the authorities quoted by the police and counsel respecting both charges.