GELIGNITE EXPLOSION

Taranaki Daily News, 6 December 1930, Page 11 (Supplement)

GELIGNITE EXPLOSION

MAN FEELING DEPRESSED. ALARM AMONG NEIGHBOURS. An explosion at Stoke recently had' a sequel in the Magistrate’s Court at Nelson on Friday. John Albert Corbett was charged with setting off gelignite so near to a public road, Railway Road, Stoke, as to endanger passers-by, with procuring gelignite without a permit, and with th<Ftheft of two plugs of gelignite, 30 feet of fuse and two detonators, the property of the New Zealand Government. Accused pleaded guilty to the first two charges, but not guilty to the last. His counsel submitted that Corbett was charged with two offences, theft and procuring without a license, for the same act and asked the magistrate to take that fact into account. Senior-Sergeant Butler said that until recently accused had been the proprietor of the hotel at Stoke. On the day in question residents near Corbett’s place were alarmed by an explosion. They went to investigate arid found defendant preparing to set off another plug of gelignite. Defendant had been drinking and told the police that he intended to blow himself up. Corbett also threatened to blow up a neighbour who came 4o see what the noise was.

Counsel for accused stated that until Corbett became a publican he had been a respectable citizen. In the hotel business he had lost money a(nd as a hotelkeeper he was not a success. He Lad been put off the Public Works at Poor Man’s Valley as the work had been completed, and at times he was in a morbid state of mind. As Corbett had been in gaol since Tuesday counsel asked the magistrate to give him a chance. The magistrate: What was his object in setting off the gelignite? s Counsel: He was feeling out qf sorts wit?, the world. Counsel suggested that a prohibition, order or other restrictions on accused’s behaviour would be in the best interests of the man. ■ On the first charge a fine of £l, with costs, was imposed. On the second defendant was convicted and admitted to probation for two years, a special condition being that he take out a prohibition order.,