DECISION RESERVED

Waikato Times, Volume 195, Issue 22460, 22 September 1944, Page 2

DECISION RESERVED

CHARGE AGAINST AIRMAN Decision was reserved by Mr S. L. Paterson, S.M., in the Magistrate’* Court, Hamilton, today when the hearing of a charge against an airman, Graeme Mason Chisholm, was concluded. Defendant was charged with having beer in his possession near the Regent Dance Hall while a dance was in progress on August 26. After the magistrate heard most of the evidence yesterday he adjourned the case until today owing to the absence of a witness for the prosecution, Mavis Irene George. Today Senior-Sergeant A. G. McHugh told the court that the witness had genuinely mistaken the date. Accompanied Stranger

Miss George said she went to the dance hall on the night in question after visiting an Air Force display in Knox Street with her sister and two other girls. After 10 minutes a stranger came up to her and asked her to go downstairs. She accompanied the stranger, a civilian, into the Air Force room at the back of the hall where defendant was on duty. He was sitting at a table with a bottle of beer and asked her if she would like a drink. She consumed one glass, which defendant poured for her. There were several other persons in the room drinking. After some time witness left to return to the dance, and on the way was stopped and questioned by a constable.

Answering Mr C. Henry, who appeared for defendant, witness s§id the stranger had in the first place merely told her she was “wanted downstairs.” If she had known she s would be asked to have a drink of beer she would not have gone. Story Not Believed Mr Henry said he found that story difficult to believe. He suggested that witness knew when she left the dance that she was going to have a drink. When the hearing opened yesterday Mr Henry submitted that as defendant had not attended the dance he could not be convicted on the charge. In the matter of other persons consuming beer in the room the prosecution would have to show that they attended the dance.