MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 January 1923, Page 6

MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

NEW PLYMOUTH SITTING. ON LICENSED PREMISES. The usual weekly sittings for 1923 of the Magistrate’s Court at New Plymouth were commenced yesterday. Mr. A. M. Mowlem, S.M., was on the bench. A plea of guilty was entered by Mr. C. B. Monaghan, on behalf of Janies Patrick Prendergast, who was charged with being on licensed premises in an intoxicated condition and with refusing to leave when requested to do ’so by the licensee. The facts as outlined by Senior-Ser-geant McCrorie were that on October 31, the accused had gone into one of the rooms of the Royal Hotel and had committed a nuisance. He had not booked the room, and the licensee had to secure the assistance of the police before he would leave. The accused was drunk at the time. In pleading for leniency. Mr. Monaghan said that the accused had gone into the hotel to wash his hands, a common thing to do. Some years ago, in Australia, he had had an accident and carried the mark of it to this day in the shape of a hole in his head. He knew he should not take whiskey, as it affected him very quickly, and it was in consequence of having had a glass or two that day that he had gone to the hotel. He had not committed a nuisance, but had knocked over a water jug. As he had left the district Prendergast was not likely to again find himself in such a position. Mr. Monaghan also asked for an order for the suppression of the accused’s name. In imposing a fine of £3. with costs 14/-. Mr. Mowlem said he did not doubt the statement about the accident ■which had happened to accused, but a man who counselled control in others should control himself. He did not take the application for the suppression of the name seriously.

UNREGISTERED FIREARM. •Charged with being in possession of an unregistered firearm, a Mauser rifle, for a greater period than one month, Charles Frederick Williseroft. failed to appear. Evidence was given by Constable Blaikie, of Mokau, that the defendant had brought the rifle to be registered, and, when questioned as to why.he had not registered it before, had given as his excuse that the bolt had been missing for some time. As the rifle was useless without it, he had not thought it necessary to register the weapon. Constable Blaikie added that M illiscroft had complied with the Arms Act in respect to other weapons, and he thought that the present offence was due more to carelessness than to any attempt to evade the Arms Act. The rifle was supposed, to be a relic of the Boer War.

A fine of £l, with costs 7/-. was imposed, and. at the request of SeniorSergeant McCroiie, an order was made for the confiscation of the weapon. “If the rifle is a relic, defendant is at. liberty to apply for an order for its return,” added His Worship.

BREACHES OF PROHIBITION ORDERS. For procuring liquor during the currency of a prohibition order Frederick Robert Garlick was convicted and fined £l. Accused did not appear but forwarded a letter to the police admitting the offence. Thomas Henry Hutton was also charged with a breach of his prohibition order in that he was found in the Criterion Hotel bar. A fine of & 1 , with costs 7/-, was imposed. BREACHES OF TIDE BY-LAWS. For failing to stop his motor-car when ordered to do so by Constable Parkinson, Claude Gleeson was fined £2, with costs 7/-. Cecil Jack Rampton was mulcted in the sum of £l, with costs 7/-, for cutting the corner of Vivian and Dawson Streets with the postal delivery van, while Harry Gilbert was fined 10/-, with costs 7/-, for riding a bicycle at Omata at night without lights. For allowing stock to wander, Edward Ansford and Leslie Brown were each fined 10/-, with costs 7/-. while Arthur Morton waft fined 5/-, with costs 12/-. MAINTENANCE CASES. When James (Morrisoh appeared on remand on a charge of failing to provide for the maintenance of his two children, under 16 years of age, Thomas Sole, who laid the information, informed the Court that the defendant had since taken charge of the children and had paid certain arrears due. Under the circumstances leave was granted to withdraw the information. A sentence of one month’s imprisonment, with hard labor, in the Auckland gaol was imposed on Leo Flynn Bradley, who did not appear to answer .4 charge of being in arrears with the payments under a maintenance, order in force against him. Mr. R. H. Quilliam, for the complainant, said that an order was made on September 14 .last for the payment of 30/- per week and certain arrears. On October 5, £l3 Ils 6d was owing aiid, as a result of a charge heard before the Court, Bradley was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment with hard labor. He took no notice of the order, and. in November, a warrant was issued for his arrest, when he paid the amount ordered. The present claim was for £l2 up to November 30 last. The complainant, Mr. Quilliam added, was quite willing to work and -do anything she could to help herself, but she was hampered by a young baby.

Mr. Mowlem sentenced Bradley as stated, the warrant to he suspended on payment of £l2.