WINNER OF £12,000

Waikato Times, Volume 116, Issue 19453, 18 December 1934, Page 3

WINNER OF £12,000

BREACH OF GAMING ACT. TO GIVE £5 TO HOSPITAL. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) GISBORNE, Monday. On condition that he undertook to donate £'s to the hospital, an information under the Gaining Act against .“ J.D.,” the winner of £12,000 in the recent Tasmanian consultation, was 'dismissed by Mr. E. L. Walton, S.M., ■at Wairoa. ' The defendant, Jack Devane, was •charged that, on, or about, October •2 he engaged in a lottery, namely, Tattersalls Consultation, promoted in Tasmania, by holding ticket No. *160477 in the sweepstake. Sergeant McGregor stated that after reports had appeared in the press ■that a Wairoa resident had won '£12,000 and was the holder of ticket No. 1G0477, defendant was interviewed by Constable Tuck, and admitted ■that be was “J.D.," who was slated •to -be the holder of Ihe ticket. At no lime would defendant admit that he had bought the ticket, but stated it had been sent to him from Australia.

iCounscl submitted that before the ■prosecution could succeed ■ it must ■show that Tattersalls was a lottery.

The magistrate remarked that he would be the laughing stock of New ■Zealand if he were lo hold that it. was not. He agreed that because or the •powers of Ihe Racing Conference defendant could receive a double punishment for one offence. If defendant gave an undertaking that he would donate £5 lo the Hospital Board, the information would be dismissed. Counsel for defendant intimated that that course would be followed.