TRESPASSED ON DEFENCE AREA
WHARF LABOURER SENT TO PRISON
(P.A.) WELLINGTON, May 26. A man of German descent, Rudolph Hirter, aged 48, a wharf labourer, who has been all his life in New Zealand, was charged in the Magistrate s Court with trespass without permission on a defence area. The police said Hirter, with a powerful pair of binoculars in his possession, was found hiding in some bushes. Hirter admitted that he saw signs prohibiting entry and ignored them.
Counsel said it was a case of carelessness and was not a deliberate offence. Hirter was below the brow of the hill and was not in a position to observe gun emplacements. As far as ships were concerned, Hirter was on the wharf every day and had no need to scale the hills to see what was going on. Actually Hirter was looking for bottles and was in the habit of carrying binoculars with him. The Magistrate, Mr J. L. Stout, said: “Not so long ago another man got 14 days’ imprisonment for the same offence. That has not been a sufficient deterrent.” He imposed a sentence of 21 days’ imprisonment with hard labour.
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Bibliographic details
Southland Times, Issue 24445, 27 May 1941, Page 4
Word Count
193TRESPASSED ON DEFENCE AREA Southland Times, Issue 24445, 27 May 1941, Page 4
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