POLICE COURT

Southland Times, Issue 22107, 30 August 1933, Page 4

POLICE COURT

SITTING AT GORE. Mr H. J. Dixon, S.M., presided at a sitting of the Gore Police Court yesterday. Douglas Wright pleaded guilty to driving an unregistered tractor, and John Denniston pleaded guilty to permitting an unregistered tractor to be driven. Mr R. B. Bannerman said that Denniston was the owner of a threshing mill plant and used the tractor to move it from farm to farm. He had been told by the farmers that it would not be necessary to register the tractor this year and he had believed them. The Magistrate: Wasn’t that the excuse last year? Wright was convicted and discharged and Denniston was convicted and ordered to pay 12/- costs. On the complaint of the borough inspector (Mr P. Kelly) Mrs E. McMullen was charged with allowing five head of cattle to wander within the borough. She was fined 2/6 without costs. Proceeded against by the traffic inspector (Mr J. H. Croad) Robert Woodrow and Len Stephenson were each fined 5/- and ordered to pay 10/costs for riding bicycles on the foot? path. James Miller George Johnson appeared on remand on a charge of being an idle and disorderly person without visible means of support. In addition seven charges of false pretences were preferred. Mr R. B. Bannerman, for the accused, applied for a remand for a fortnight. He said that the false pretences charges had been laid only a few days ago and he had had no time to prepare a defence. Sergeant Fryer said the police strongly obiected to a remand being granted. The informations had been laid last Wednesday and had been read to accused on Thursday, full details being supplied on Friday. A number of business men who had been the victims of fraud were in Court and would be put to further inconvenience if a remand were granted. The Magistrate consented to a remand until September 12, stating that he did not wish it to be suggested that the accused had been prejudiced through being allowed insufficient time to prepare a defence. Bail was allowed in one surety of £5O, accused to report daily to the police.