LIQUOR OFFENCES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 293, 9 April 1941, Page 5

LIQUOR OFFENCES

CASES HEARD YESTERDAY A NUMBER OF BREACHES A number of breaches of the liquor laws were dealt with yesterday by Mr E. L. Walton, S.M., at the local Magistrate's Court, lines being inflicted in all cases. After Hours. Fines of £1 and with costs £1 were imposed on Brian Walsh and Douglas Gordon Hawkins, and a line of 10s costs £1 10s on Archibald Miller for being found on the premises of the Commercial Hotel after hours. Constable Urquart stated that he had found the men in the alleyway of the hotel premises and they had admitted that they had endeavoured to obtain a drink. Breach of Prohibition Order. Taylor Tai was charged with a breach of a prohibition order. Sergeant M. Farrell stated that the man had been found drunk in the street and penalised in Court for the offence. A fine of £5 with costs 10s was the penalty. A similar charge was preferred against Peter' Wano for whom Mr Otley appeared. The prosecution stated that the man had been found in the public bar of the Commercial Hotel. Mr Otley claimed that the defendant had been behaving well for some time, but had met old friends and succumbed to temptation. A fine of £1 with costs a similar amount was entered. Constable Rice, of Taneatua, gave evidence to the effect that Thomas Hillman was drinking heavily and had been for three months with the result that his family was being neglected. An application by Hillman for a prohibition order Avas sustained. Drink at Dance. Charges against three men for having liquor in the vicinity of the Winter Show Hall Avhen a dance was in progress also brought charges of illegally supplying liquor at the Te Teko Hotel against another person;.i ; Robert Baskett was charged Avith having supplied liquor after hours being a person other than the licensee of the hotel. It was stated in evidence that the defendant Avas a guest at the hotel being friendly with the proprietor, and in the absence of the licensee had been induced to sell a number of bottles of beer. He Avas fined £3 with costs 10s

Ebenezer George Habgood, Joseph Henry Taylor and Patrick Bradv were associated in the charge, and for assisting in the supplying of liquor were fined £1 with costs.

The foregoing charges arose from the discovery by Constable Urquart of the beer in a motor car at the Winter Show Hall. Constable Urquart stated that at about midnight he had found twelve full bottles of beer in a car parked outside the hall, and Habgood had been in the vehicle. On being questioned this defendant had admitted, buying the liquor at the Te Teko Hotel earlier in the evening. Each of the three men were fined £3 with costs 10s. Native Supplied. Three men were involved in the next case which concerned the supplying of liquor to a native. Walter Crapp, Herbert Haraki and John James Murphy were the central figures. The first named was charged that as a barman of the Whakatane Hotel he sold Haraki two 5-gallon kegs of beer and told the purchaser to bring a taxi to the rear of the hotel to take it away. He was fined £5 [with 10s costs.

Haraki was charged with assisting in this offence and was fined a similar amount, with the costs making 15s. Murphy was convicted and discharged on the first count that he assisted to supply liquor, but was Jpnecl £2 and 10s costs for taking iiquor to a Maori Pah.

In presenting the case Sergeant M. Farrell stated that when lie had visited the pah he had found a party in progress at which there were about 30 natives, a similar number of children and also two Europeans. He added that unfortunately there had been a good deal of such trouble in the district recently and the Police were doing their best to suppress it.