MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Southland Times, Issue 22949, 23 July 1936, Page 7

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

WEDNESDAY Thomas Castle Taylor, a labourer, of Winton, pleaded guilty to two charges of indecent assault on little girls. Ine evidence was taken in the Childrens Court. Accused was committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. On a charge of having impounded a number of cattle on his farm at Hedgehope and keeping the cattle impounded for a longer period than 48 hours, and failing to take the cattle to the nearest accessible pound, Alexander Calder Sharp was fined £lO. Detective-Sergeant Thompson saia that defendant had taken 11 head of cattle off the road and had kept them in his paddocks for three months without advertsiing that he had impounded them. He said that the cattle had been wandering on the road and he was afraid they might get mixed up with his own herd. He later advised the police that he had impounded them and said they were wild cattle. He then sold them to a butcher at Woodlands, but no money had been paid for them. The majority of the cattle were owned by a man named Fleming. They were not branded, but were earmarked. The owners had since recovered the cattle. A lot of cattle had been reported to the police lately as stolen and defendant might easily have had to face a more serious charge.

Defendant pleaded ignorance of the law and said he did not think he had done anything wrong. The Magistrate: That’s your story. You are lucky you have not been charged with theft. Defendant said he had made inquiries from his neighbours, but nobody seemed to know anything about the cattle.

The maximum penalty of £lO with costs 13/- was imposed. Breaches of Motor Regulations.

Frederick Poole for riding a motor cycle at an excessive speed was convicted and fined 30/- and costs 10/-.

William Mcßobie pleaded guilty to driving a car at an excessive speed and was fined £1 and costs 10/-. Similarly charged, William Paulin was fined £1 10/- and costs 10/-.

James Price pleaded guilty to having no motor driver’s licence and was fined 10/- and costs 10/-. For a similar offence Raymond Ferguson was fined 10/- and costs 10/-, and Robert Traynor was ordered to pay costs 10/-. For leaving his car standing beyond a parking area and thus causing an obstruction, Alexander Robertson was fined 10/- and costs 10/-.

For riding bicycles after sunset without lights David Balloch was convicted and discharged; Walter - Lilley was fined 5/- and costs 10/-; Merle Paterson was fined 5/- and costs 10/-; John Bruce Aitchison (Mr G. J. Reed) was ordered to pay costs 10/-; Robert H. Tinker was fined 5/- and costs 10/-; William Richards was fined 5/- and costs 10/-.

For having unregistered dogs in their possession Arthur H. Longley was fined 10/- and costs 10/-, and George Wybrow was ordered to pay costs 10/-. Henry W. Phillips for driving a motor car at a dangerous speed on the Inver-cergill-Dunedin highway was fined £5 and costs 10/-. Traffic Inspector P. C. Watson said that defendant was travelling at over 40 miles an hour. He apprehended defendant and noticed signs of intoxicating liquor on him. He would not say, however, that defendant was not in a fit state to drive his car. Agnes May Russell, who appeared on Saturday on a charge of driving a car in a manner which, in all the circumstances, was dangerous to Robert Houliston Fairbairn (deceased), was convicted and ordered to pay the costs of the prosecution, amounting to £ll 19/9, with Court costs 16/-. Alleged False Pretences.

Desmond Ivan Perrin, aged 29, of Wellington, who was arrested by Detective Hill earlier in the day, appeared in the afternoon on a charge of false pretences by issuing a valueless cheque. The accused was remanded in custody until July 28, Detective-Sergeant Thompson stating that other charges were pending.