COURT AT OPUNAKE

Taranaki Daily News, 18 October 1935, Page 7

COURT AT OPUNAKE

UNREGISTERED REVOLVER CASE. WEAPON TO BE CONFISCATED. James Weka Manu, a young native, of Okato, was charged in the Opunake Court yesterday with being in possession of a seven-chambered for a longer period than seven days without being the registered owner thereof. He was also charged with having procured the weapon without first having obtained a permit. He pleaded guilty and was convicted and discharged on both charges, Mr. W. H. Woodward, S.M., 'ordering that the revolver be handed over to the police. , Constable Clouston said the revolver was originally owned by one William Thompson, who was dead. The weapon then came into the possession of Mrs. Thompson, who was a sister of Manu. On her death Manu obtained the revolver. It took a .22 long cartridge and was a dangerous calibre as these cartridges could be obtained without a police permit. The constable had been instructed to apply for the confiscation of the weapon. There had been complaints that Manu had been showing the revolver. The magistrate’ thought that the purpose would be served if the revolver was handed in arid Manu convicted and discharged. Maori’s License Cancelled. Jack Rata (Mr. A. A. Bennett) pleaded guilty to a charge of being drunk in charge of a car. He was convicted and his license to drive cancelled for -three months. He was also prohibited for 12 months, and ordered to pay 12s costs, but th a? magistrate said he would not* impose a fine. Constable Clouston stated that Rata got into his car in an-intoxicated state. When near the railway bridge on Eltham Road he met a garage proprietor towing in a disabled car. Rata swerved to the right and put the other driver up a bank and into a hedge. He was found to be drunk when the police saw him and admitted he had driven the car. He said he did not mind paying a fine but he did not want his license cancelled. Mr. Bennett explained that Rata had met some-friends who induced him to take too much liquor. He used the car for going about the district in the course of employment and to visit the doctor when there was sickness in the family. He was agreeable to taking out a prohibition order. Constable Clouston said Rata was in-, clined to take too much liquor when driving a car and he felt a prohibition order would be a good thing. He also thought Rata should lose his license for a time to make him feel his responsibility. Mr. Woodward proposed to cancel the license for six but when it was pointed out that the man went to his work in the car and depended on it for his livelihood he agreed to make the period three months. Speeding Past Intersection. George Knight pleaded guilty to driving a motor-car across the Kahui Road intersection on the main south road at a greater speed than 15 miles per hour. He was convicted and fined £1 and 3s costs. Senior-Sergeant Turner said that on October 3 at 7.15 a.m. Knight was seen by the inspector to travel from New Plymouth towards Opunake at an estimated speed of from 40 to 45 miles per hour. He claimed his Car would not travel at that speed but admitted he might have been doing 20 to 25 miles an hour. He was certainly guilty under the regulations. In imposing penalty the magistrate said the public must be protected. Maintenance Matters. C. H. Hopkinson was ordered to pay 3s 6d a week towards the maintenance of a child under the care of the child welfare branch of the Education Department. J. King, a young Maori, admitted paternity of an illegitimate child and was ordered to pay confinement expenses amounting to £9 8s and £1 Ils 6d costs. The question of maintenance was adjourned until next‘sitting until the question who was to have the child was determined.