SUBSTANTIAL FINE

Waikato Independent, Volume XLIII, Issue 3949, 31 January 1944, Page 2

SUBSTANTIAL FINE

FOR CENSORSHIP BREACH

INFORMATION IN LETTER i A charge of communicating in a letter information likely to be of use to the enemy was admitted by Maurice Beresford McMillan, of Karapiro (Mr W. J. King), in the Magistrate's Court, Hamilton, on Thursday last. -Detective-Sergeant W. R. Murray said a letter containing an infringement of the regulations, written by McMillan was intercepted by the authorities. In evidence,, defendant admitted that the letter was addressed to his sister in North Wales and was written in his hand-writing, but saidAe had no recollection of writing Jfee passage in question. He consid|fci he must have been under the influence of liquor at the time. He had landed in one of the first three boats at Gallipoli, in the last war, and was severely wounded. In 1940 he had volunteered for service but had been rejected.

Mr King submitted that McMillan's loyalty was beyond question, and that there was no sinister motive behind the letter. •"You must be more careful in future," said Mr S. L. Paterson, S.M., who added that he would inflict a substantial penalty as a warning to others.

A fine of £lO with costs was imposed.