BOOKMAKERS CONVICTED

Taranaki Daily News, 5 August 1930, Page 11

BOOKMAKERS CONVICTED

FINES OF £3OO IMPOSED OFFENCE CONSIDERED SERIOUS. MAGISTRATE STIFFENS PENALTY, Hy Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night In sentencing Ralph ' Ellis Thomson, aged 50, and Thomas Phillips, aged 58, who to-day pleaded guilty to charges, of bookmaking, Air. Woodward, S-M., said: “1 think I should accept the sentence imposed by the Supreme Court as some indication that this Court should treat these offenders not merely as a source of revenue to the country but to show that the law intends that this offence shall cease, I. don’t propose to take the extreme step of inflicting a term of imprisonment in the first case, but I shall impose a fine, which must necessarily exceed the fines previously- inflicted in the case of Phillips. Hpwafl convicted three months ago, when he was fined £250, and on the whole hisjcase seems worse than “that;-* o-f ■ Thompson, who also has two convictions anti was fined £2OO. On the other hand, I am willing to give him the benefit of what seems” to be a genuine decision to . give the practice up. - “I propose to fine each of the accused £3OO, and in default of payment they will each be sentenced to six l months -imprisonment. I will allow in the case of Phillips 1-1 days in which to pay and Thompson one month.’ I do not ,hold out any hope whatever of an extension of those .periods.” . ' . j , Two other men involved in Saturday • raids were charged with keeping a common gaminghouse at a shop at 50 Chuznee Street. They are August Hjajmar Peterson, aged 38, and. (Thomas Quin, 35, and both pleaded not guilty. °On the application of Detective-Ser-geant Holmes they were remanded until August 11. Bail was allowed in. their own bonds of £lOO.