FREE TAXI RIDES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19732, 10 September 1938, Page 20

FREE TAXI RIDES

DRIVERS DEFRAUDED BRIDEGROOM’S CONDUCT TOUR ROUND CHURCHES WEDDING GOES ASTRAY (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, this day. What counsel described as an extraordinary case ot a bridegroom, who was unaware of the church' and the law formalities regarding marriage was that of Norman Case Avison, a hotel porter, aged 33, whom Mr. Noble represented, who appeared in the Police Court. He denied charges of being idle and disorderly and obtaining credit by fraud for £3 Os 6d from taxi-drivers who were allegedly engaged to drive the accused and his bride to church. Sub-Inspector Fox said that the accused came to Auckland from Hastings some weeks ago and obtained work as a gardener at a suburban rest home. He fell in love with the pantrymaid and they decided to marry. Un September 1, two days before the proposed wedding, he left his work, received his wages and went to stay at a city hotel. While allegedly making preparations for his marriage, the accused incurred debts with taxidrivers. In each case he paid the first fare and obtained later rides on credit. For the wedding day, he engaged three taxis. One took the bride from her home and another carried the accused and the best man. The third was kept waiting outside the accused’s hotel. “By some oversight, the accused made no arrangements for the wedding, having obtained no license or engaged the minister or the church,” said Sub-Inspector Fox, describing how the accused and the bride in separate cars drove to various churches before finding one another outside a church in Remuera. After a consultation they drove back to the hotel and the bride got disgusted and went home. The accured tried to obtain the money to pay off the taxis from the hotel proprietor, who recommended his getting money from the taxi-drivers to pay for his board. Drinking Heavily

Sergeant McGettigan produced a statement made by the accused after being taken to the police station by one of the taxi-drivers. He then had od in ihis possession and admitted having no other money or property, but said he might be able to borrow tne money to pay his debts. When he arrived at the hotel he had £7 10s, paying £1 for his room. Lat;r he began drinking heavily leaving himself without enough money to procure a marriage license.

The three taxi-drivers described the trips they had done for the accused on the days preceding the wedding and their arrangements for driving the parties to the church. Alfred Franklin Smith, who took the bride, said they visited four churches and, in the last at Remuera, the minister said he knew of no wedding having been fixed and asked if he could be of any assistance.

Spencer Claud Brown said he drove the accused to a’ church in Symons street, and then to Remuera where tney found the bride. Apparently neither knew which church tney were supposed to go io. Warwick Francis Vivian Harvey said he waited outside tne accused’s hotel until he knew he was too late to take anyone to a wedding.

No Fraudulent Intention

Mr. Noble submitted that the drivers were using criminal proceedings to collect a civil debt. There was no intention to defraud the men of their money, even if payment were delayed. The magistrate, Mr. C. Orr Walker, said he had no hesitation in saying that the fraud was quite obvious in each case.

Sub-Inspector Fox said that accused had been previously convicted oi iraud and theft at Hastings and had been imprisoned. The accused was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment on each of two cnarges, the sentences to be cumulative. On the third charge he was ordered to pay the costs of the prosecution and to come up for sentence if called upon within a year and to refrain from taking liquor.