CRUELTY TO BIRDS AND ANIMALS

Southland Times, Issue 23839, 9 June 1939, Page 5

CRUELTY TO BIRDS AND ANIMALS

ELDERLY MAN SENTENCED TO IMPRISONMENT (United Press Association) AUCKLAND, June 8. Sending William Alfred Laird, aged 61, to prison for a month for cruelty to birds and animals, Mr C. R. Orr Walker, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court, told Laird he deserved more. Laird pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing a quantity of liquor valued at £4/12/-, and also to a charge that between May 22 and 31, haying charge of four cows, 15 budgerigars, 80 fowls and two dogs, he omitted to supply them with sufficient food and water. The police said Laird was employed as handyman by a Remuera resident, and while his employer was on holiday at Rotorua lived in a detached room. He was given the run of the kitchen and pantry. While looking for a bottle of sauce in the pantry he discovered his employer’s liquor supply, and drank all of the wine, whisky, champagne, gin and beer. When drunk he wandered away, leaving the animals to starve. The cows had been unmilked and were practically ruined. All the budgerigars had died, also five fowls, while the remainder of the fowls and two dogs were in a bad way. Laird was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called on for the theft of the liquor and ordered to make restitution. On the charge of cruelty he was sentenced to a month with hard labour.