PROBATION FOR A YEAR

Taranaki Daily News, 11 December 1930, Page 6

PROBATION FOR A YEAR

ADVENTURE ON MOTOR-CYCLE

YOtITH. BEFORE THE MAGISTRATE

CASES. IN- NEW PLYMOUTH COURT

“I am going to admit you to probation for a year and you will have to do what the probation officer tells you and repay £5 9s 6d damages to the motor-cycle,” said Mr. R. W. late, S.M. to Alan John Williams, aged 17, who’ yesterday admitted unlawful conversion of a motor-cycle valued at £4O and belonging to James Gill. For ridin<r''without a license he was convicted air'd ordered to pay IQs costs.Williams had not appeared when his name was called so Senior-Sergeant McCrtirie . proceeded to explain the circumstances. He said that on November 25 Williams went to Moore’s -garage and announced he wanted to see a friend. Upon, mention being made of motorcycles Knox,. another young man present, said- there was a .machine for sale in Ayre’s marage. They went to see it. Williams asked Knott to start it, but he could not and while away telephoning the agent someone else started the cycle and Williams rode away. Next day he telephoned from Omata and said hewould return it. He did not, however, and the cycle was not returned until two days after it was taken. It was damaged. “This is a common practice of this; boy,” observed the police offithis time Williams had arrived in court. ' • • “And what have you to say. about this?” asked the magistrate. , “Nothing, sir,”-replied Williams. “I was not going to say anything. “Well, you’d better. This is an imprisonable offence. Do you want to go to gaol?” ■ • , “No, sir.” J “What damage was done to the bicycle?” asked Mr. Tate. “It cost £5 9s 6d,” said the seniorsergeant. ‘, ,■ , . “Was / there -any talk about buying it?” said. Mr.-Tate. _ i‘Yes,” replied Williams. “I did talk about buying it.” “And. was a price mentioned?” “Yes.” “What is your occupation?.”

“Farm labourer;.” •• “Well,, it looks as if you are going to be- ah inmate of a gaol.” Answering the magistrate,. Knott said that Williams had not said he would, buy the machine, though he was talking about buying one. - ' “His own statement shows he had ; no intention? of buying it,” said the seniorsergeant. . .. “You wid have to pull yourself together,” said Mr. Tate, when admitting Williams to probation. '

DENIAL THAT IT WAS HIS CAR

TAXIMAN’S FURTHER EVIDENCE.

Consequent on his denial that ho was the taxi-driver whom police witnesses said they' saw speeding across; the intersection of Weymouth and St. Aubyn Streets on the ,night of November .10, Basil R. Blackball was last week granted an adjournment to enable the calling of fresh evidence. : This was heard yesterday, the magistrate /afterwards reserving his decision; ; 1 < . ■_ ■ Called by Senior-Sergeant McCrorie, Mrs. -Ivy Baker, Jiving,at the corner of St. Aubyn and Weymouth Streets, said she was standing at her front door about 7.10. She heard’ a buzzing and saw a car pass a t a terrific speed. There were some sailors in the back and they were swaying with the motion of the car.;. She recognised Blackhall as the driver. It was a grey car .with a red top. Several (other people in the street remarked on the speed the car wa« travelling, i ■ • » ' To Mr. C. E. Monaghan: Her house was next to Ward’s store, which was on the corne'r. ■ , . “Are you absolutely .certain it was this man who was driving that car’” asked counsel.

“Absolutely certain.” “Was the car covered in?”

“Yes, but I could'see the driver.” , She had not discussed. the case with anj r one since last- Wednesday, shp said. “I am. bringing witnesses who will swear Blackball was not-there,” continued counsel; ■ “Well, . I can’t help that, Mr. Monaghan.” . To the magistrate; Her house was la feet from the road, but she could-see the car .plainly. Constable O’Neill had not asked her for information. She had volunteered it when the matter . was raised. > ■., ■ The defence'called Leonard Sturmey, a butcher. He said he engaged Blackball on .November 10 .to . pifk up his wife, child and perambulator near the; Henui bridge at 7 p.m, and drive them to Veale’s estate. He was at home when Blackball arrived at-about 7.12. To the senior-sergeant; Blackball could riot get from Veale’s estate . to the breakwater in two or three minutes. Blackball returned towards the town. Sidney Charles ’ Brereton, baker, brother-in-law of Sturmey, said he remembered Blackball arriving at Ebrington Terrace, Te He’nui, a few minutes after 7 o’clock. He dame to take his sister home to Veale’s estate. Witness went back with Blackball as far. as Eliot Street. He knew. it( was November 10 because he visited a friend opposite the Coronation Hall that night. There was a sailors’ dance in the hall.. .Mr. Monaghan said he had intended producing further evidence from Pentecost,' but he was ill. He had a sworn .statement from a petty officer in Blackhall’s car. This was taken the day after the occurrence.

. The magistrate: But there was no prosecution as soon afterwards as that. Counsel: Bitt Constable O’Neill was making inquiries . and Blackball took steps to protect himself.

“NOT ATTEMPTING SUICIDE.” A MOTORIST AND A TRAIN.- ■ ■ “He assures me he was not attempting suicide—the train was too big for that,” said Mr. S. F. Grayling when speaking on behalf of Richard Leslie Raynor,° who admitted fading to keep a vigilant look-out for trains at the Tariki crossing on September 13 and attempting to cross when the line was not clear. ° .. . ■_. . Senior-Sergeant McCrone said Raynor ’drove parallel to the train for over two miles and slipped across about a length ahead of the engine, which had sounded its whistle. “It seems to be a bad case,” observed the senior-sergeant. “He says he has no knowledge that the train was there at all,” said Mr. Grayling. He submitted Raynor must not have been running parallel but ahead of the train if he did not see it and to enable him to cross in front at' Tariki. At the Waipuku crossing further on he did see the train and stopped to allow it to pass. Counsel suggested as a, possible explanation that if Raynor did see the train at Tariki he may have been thinking of some-

■ ■ . ' ■■: y.'y '? thing else and so failed to grasp the fact. ' , •' ■ , ' > . A fine of - .£2 - and 16s costs was imposed.

' i JMISCELLANEQUS MATTERS. ? •’> DROVE WITHOUT A. LICENSE. ? A fine of £1 with 10s costs was im. posed on John H. Stockdale, commercial traveller, Auckland, for driving his car without a license at Onaero oh D?' cember 1. Senior-Sergeant McCrorie; said there haH been a collision on the main road with a man named HoskmeStockdale wrote to the court, pleading guilty and saying his license had ex- ■ pired.. ?' 1 1 Saying he would give them the bene-, fit of the doubt,.the magistrate dismiss;, ed a charge of casting-offensive matter in a public place brought against Owen Knight, Lewis Frost and Charles Stowart who, represented by Mr. A. A. Bennett, denied responsibility for the act,.