ALLEGED BOOKMAKING

Taranaki Daily News, 17 August 1933, Page 12

ALLEGED BOOKMAKING

RETRIAL OF DOMINIK SISARICH. INCIDENT AT STRATFORD. The retrial of Dominik Sisarich, restauranteur, Stratford, charged with bookmaking about March 8, 1933, was commenced’before Mr. Justice Ostler at New Plymouth yesterday. The case was heard at the last session, when the jury failed to reach an agreement, and a new trial was ordered. The evidence for the Crown was concluded. The hearing will be continued this morning. Mr. R. H. Quilliam conducted the case for the Crown and Mr. A. Coleman defended. The following jury was empanelled: Messrs. W. B. Hoskin (foreman), Thomas Eddlestone, George Cathie, C. S. Cottam. C. M. Healy, W. H. Hardgrave, Robert Johnston, P. H. Fisher, J. A. Bower, H. A. Abbott, J. O. Turner, Ronald Cleland. 'The Crown stood-by seven jurymen and the' defence exercised its right to challenge on three occasions. Mr. Quilliam outlined the case on lines similar to those at the last Supreme Court sessions. He said the evidence would show that in February and March Constable Groombridge, Wellington, who was doing plain-clothes duty in Taranaki, made a bet with Sisarich on March 8 on I’m Alone in the Farewell Hack Handicap at the Rangitikei meeting. On Saturday, March 18, Sergeant Kelly and Constable Hughes raided Sisarich s restaurant and executed a search warrant.

Sisarich frankly admitted to them that he had been bookmaking, but said he had stopped the business three, weeks before. Very little betting material was found, but the sergeant and constable answered a number of telephone calls. Several of the messages received were perfectly innocent, but others, it .was suggsted, necessarily bore an entirely different application. Some people rang asking that money should be placed on horses. Besides this evidence Constable Hodge would say that in 1931 he had made bets with Sisarich, the result being that Sisarich subsequently pleaded guilty to carrying on business as a bookmaker.

Evidence was given by Constable A. W. Groombridge, Sergeant Kelly, Constable Hughes (Stratford) and Constable Hodges (Morrinsville) and Detective A. B. Meiklejohn. The last-named gave evidence regarding race meetings, etc., and produced a record of the conviction of Sisarich, with a fine of £2OO, on evidence obtained by Constable Hodges.