BAKER BEFORE COURT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27570, 12 December 1950, Page 3

BAKER BEFORE COURT

Sale Of Contaminated Bread Alleged

Charged with selling food unfit for human consumption, William J. Abbott (Mr R. J. Gilbert), a baker, of Dunedin, pleaded not guilty when he appeared in the Magistrate's Court yesterday before Mr J. D. Willis. S.M. The magistrate reserved his decision. Mr W. F. Thomson prosecuted for the district inspector of health. Dunedin. Mr Thomson said that when a loaf of bread was cut at the Dunedin Public Hospital it was found to contain pieces of a bandage. Mr Thomson said that the defendant had a contract with the Otago Hospital Board to supply bread, and he brought evidence to show that the contaminated loaf was warm and fresh when cut. Mr Gilbert said that every precaution was taken in the defendant's bakery to see that no foreign matter got into the bread. The defendant did not know how the bandage had got into the loaf delivered at the hospital and had made every endeavour to find out. His bakery had recently been renovated at a substantial cost. None of the defendant’s staff had any cuts on their hands and none had been wearing a bandage. Mr Willis said he had no doubts whether the bread containing the bandage had come from the defendant’s bakery, but the point in question was whether all reasonable steps were taken by the defendant to see that no contaminated matter got into food sold to the public. Theft Charge Pleading guilty to a charge of stealing £3 10s from a friend, a 17J-year-old girl was placed on probation for three years with special conditions regarding employment and place of residence. The magistrate made an order for suppression of publication of the girl’s name because of her age. She was represented by Mr J. B. Thomson. Casting Offensive Matter Peter Louis Berge was fined £2 with costs (10s) for casting offensive matter in a public place. Assault Charge Sydney James Hastie, a labourer, aged 44, pleaded guilty to a charge of assault, and was fined £l. Chimney Fires Arthur Hamilton Harper was fined £1 with costs (10s) for allowing a chimney at his home to catch fire. Similarly charged, Henry Wilson Todd was fined 30s with costs (10s). Unauthorised Building For doing building work without a permit, James Fraser (Mr F. Duncan) was fined £7 10s with costs (10s). Mr J. ,C. Robertson appeared for the Dunedin City Corporation.