BEER AFTER HOURS

Taranaki Daily News, 6 November 1934, Page 2

BEER AFTER HOURS

THREE RAHOTU HOTEL CHARGES. MAN SEEN IN BACK PADDOCK.

The purchase of a two-gallon jar of beer from the Rahotu hotel at 8.15 p.m. on October 3 led to the appearance of three men in the Police Court at New Plymouth yesterday. Ernest Henry Gray, licensee, was charged with selling liquor in prohibited hours, George Gray, his son, who acted as barman, was charged that, being a person other than the licensee, he supplied the liquor, and David Bruce Blair was charged with being found on licensed premises after hours. Mr. R. Brokenshire appeared for all three, pleading guilty on behalf of George Gray and Blair and not guilty for E. H. Gray. Mr. W. H. Woodward, S.M., convicted in each case, the fines being R. Gray £4 (costs 10s), E. H. Gray £2 (10s) and Blair £2 (12s). The facts were simple, said SeniorSergeant Turner. Constable Rushton caught Blair in a paddock at the rear of the hotel with a full two-gallpn jar. He admitted frankly purchasing the jar from George Gray in the passage of the hotel. George Gray had the keys of the bar. E. H- Gray paid Blair had been in the hotel between 5 and 6 that night and had said he wanted a jar of beer. He had not thought of the matter further. “This is not a serious case,” concluded the senior-sergeant, “but it follows on a series of warnings.” Mr. Brokenshire pointed out that Blair was an old friend of the Grays and therefore was more able to induce Gray to supply liquor. Blair had ordered the beer but at the time there had been a shortage of japs, which were expected back before closing time, E. H. Gray had beep away later in the evening and at the time of the' transaction was actually outside the front door talking to the constable. He had given no sanction to the sale and although legally guilty was morally innocent. E. H. Gray had been licensee only a short time and had given every help to the police. “The licensee has not succeeded in dissociating himself entirely from the sale,” said Mr. Woodward. “There have been Warnings and I presume they have been required. Probably when the licensee was talking to the constable on the front doorstep Blair was going out the back. It is not too good at all.”