THE ARMS ACT

Otago Witness, Issue 3517, 9 August 1921, Page 37

THE ARMS ACT

NELSON, August 2. \ Andrew Strand was charged with being in unlawful possession of ammunition lor an automatic pistol. Counsel said that defendant was very well known to the i\eturned Soldiers’ Association as a man of very excellent character. lie was a foreigner, and spoke English with some difficulty. There must have been a mutual misunderstanding between him and the sergeant. Defendant, who wa3 a seaman, went to register the pistol, but was unaware that the ammunition had io be handed in also. When approached by the constable, the ammunition was immediately handed in. A member of the Police Force said that objection was taken bv the department to defendant retaining the pistol, as a report was not favourable. Cross-examined, ho said he knew defendant was born in Denmark and was a naturalised British subject. Constable M’Kenzie said there wag no evasion by the defendant, whom he knew as a man of good character and with good war service. The Magistrate said it was quite clear that an offence had been committed, but taking into account the fact that defendant was a man of good character and nothing was known against, him. ordered the ammunition to be forfeited to the Crown, and imposed a fine of lCs. with 7s costs.