RE-HEARING ASKED

Southland Times, Issue 20003, 18 October 1926, Page 8

RE-HEARING ASKED

A DRUNKENNESS CASE. MAN FAILS TO APPEAR. (Per United Press Association.) Wellington, October 16. That a re hearing should be granted in the case of a young man who was convicted last week of drunkenness was the unusual application made by Mr J. Scott to Mr J. H. Salmon, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court to-day. Mr Scott said the young man was arrested yesterday week for drunkenness and placed in the cells. At 3 o’clock the following morning he was released on bail and was told when he protested that he had not been drunk that he could defend the case in the morning. He did not appear, however, and a conviction was entered against him. There was no doubt, continued Mr Scott, that the young man should have put in an appearance and explained the circumstances whcH the charge was read in CoufL but in view of the fact that he was subject to fits, and he claimed he was suffering from one at the time, Counsel thought the application was .a reasonable one. The young man had assured him that he was a strict teetotaller. Sub-Inspector Harvey: This is rather an unusual application. The young man was arrested in an apparently drunken state, but when he was released on bail he stated that he had had a fit. He was told at the time he could explain the circumstances in the morning if he appeared in Court. Mr Salmond said as there was a possibility of an injustice having been done, he would grant the application. Re-hearing was fixed for Tuesday morning.