MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 16639, 7 August 1930, Page 6

MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

TIMARU, AUGUST 6. (Before Mr C. R. Orr-Walker S.M.) Arrears of Maintenance. Gemld appeared on remand, charge disobedience of a maintenance otder, he being £523 14s 6d in arrears up to March 13, 1930. He was convicted and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment, wi#h hard labour, the warrant to be suspended so long as defendant paid £7 10s on September 3, and similar sums on October 3rd and November 3, £lO on December 3, and on the third day of every month thereafter until the arrears were paid, all arrears over £75 to be cancelled when application wao made by defendant to cancel such balance. Reformative Detention. John Newall, for whom Mr L. M. Inglis pleaded guilty to the following charges:—That on April 1, he did steal one overcoat valued at £7 7s the property of Lewis James Pugh; on April 7 with stealing two suit cases and one sample box valued at £ls, tru* property of the Nestle Anglo-Swiss condensed Milk Company; on April 17, with stealing a quantity of clothing, valued at £3 6s, the property of Milson Lee. There were four other charges of stealing clothing from Albert Thoreau (£4), May Furgesion Arnott (£2 10s), Dorothy May Mclver (£4 0s 6d), and Rose Poulton (£2 10s). Detective Studholme said that the petty thefts with which the accused was charged had been going on for some time, cars and clothes lines having suffered to some extent. The thefts had been also of a daring nature. The accused, who was a married man with two children, had one previous conviction 18 months ago. Mr Inglis pointed out that accused had lived with his people at Waimate until about eighteen months ago, when he left with his wife to take up a married couple’s position. He haa afterwards worked in Timaru, until in February he became ill and was medically advised to refrain from heavy work. At present he was renting a room at a cost of 12s 6d a week. Occasionally he was employed at the waterfront, where he might earn 30s per week. Beyond that he had nothing to live on, and at present his wife was unable to do any work*. Mr Inglis said that the only circumstances on which he could ask for leniency was on account of extreme poverty. Accused’s father had stated that he was prepared to take him and his family to Waimate and there find work for the husband. The Magistrate pointed out the seriousness of the petty thefts from people’s back yards at nights. In answer to the Magistrate, Detective Studholme said that most of the stolen clothes had been found in accused’s house. The Magistrate said that the thefts had been going on since April 1, and there was not a sudden giving way to temptation on the part of the accused. The public must be protected. Accused would be sentenced to twelve months’ reformative detention on each charge, sentences to be concurrent. An order for the return of the property to the owners was made. Judgment by Default. Judgment by default was given in the following undefended civil cases: Therese Ltd. v. J. Taylor, claim £3 17s 11, costs 26s 6d; J. E. Reid v. James Taylor, claim 17s 6d, costs 14s; Brady and Mcßae v. T. Nicholls, claim £33 3s 7d, costs £4 Is 6d; same v. W. L. Richards claim £2 7s 6d, costs 23s 6d; Henry Lewis Butler v. John Byers Nichol claim £5 4s 2d, costs 31s 6d: William Walsh v. William Connolly, claim £3 2s 9d, costs 23s 6d; same v. A. Parker, claim £3 19s 6d, costs 23s 6d; same v. B. G. Edwards, claims £2 Is 6d, costs 23s 6d; same v. George Sydney Claughton, claim £3 Bs, costs 25s 6d. Judgment Summonses. James Stanley Taylor was ordered to pay Margaret Ferguson, 15s 3d, the balance of a claim, forthwith, in default 24 hours’ imprisonment. No order was made in the case in which Waters, Ritchie and Co., proceeded against George Bower for £62 10s Bd.