BOOKMAKERS FINED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 284, 2 December 1941, Page 7

BOOKMAKERS FINED

THREE MEN BEFORE COURT FINES TOTAL £2OO “The bookmaking business in Wanganui is falling off.’ said Mr. E. B. Tustin in the Wanganui Magistrate’s Court yesterday , appearing for Frank Sanko, charged with keeping the premises al 100 Ridgway Street as a common gaming house. Mr. J. H. Salmon S.M., who presided, imposed a line of £75 (costs 10s). Detective-Sergeant J. K. Robertson who prosecuted, said that he had visited the premises on Saturday and found a certain amount of belting material. A number of 10s and 5s bets bad been taken. Mr. Tustin said that Sanko made only a meagre living out of bookmaking nowadays, his business only being about one-fifth of that when he appeared before the Court previously. His client was unable to do any other kind of work because of ill-health. ' Mr. Salmon: Do you mean to say j (hat he cannot do anything other than break the law ? Sanko has six pre- j vious convictions and I cannot impose! a line of less than £75. as on the last occasion. Charles Byers was also charged with keeping the premises of 46 Victoria Avenue as a common gaming house. In this case Mr. Salmon imposed a tine of £lOO. Detective-Sergeant Robertson said ‘that when he visited the premises on Saturday he discovered betting material and the records showed that £lB in bets had been taken. Mr. C. F. Treadwell, appearing for Byers, said that Saturday was th? occasion of the Feilding and Auckland race meetings, and when the police entered the premises at 2.30 p.m. only £lB had been taken, and the largest bet was £2. The rest had been taken in 10s and 5s bets. “I must take into regard the volume of business done, but Byers has had a number of previous convictions and on the last occasion was fined £lOO. The penalty will he the same on this occasion. James Henry Davis who was charged with assisting Sanko in the running of a common gaming house, was convicted and lined £25 (costs 10s). Mr. Tustin said that Davis was only a casual employee of Sanko and was unable to do any other Hasse of work oecause of ill-health.