MIDNIGHT TRESPASSER

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 20, 4 September 1946, Page 5

MIDNIGHT TRESPASSER

MAORI’S BRAZEN BEHAVIOUR / ’ . •~ v HOTEL DOMESTIC QUARTERS Pleading guilty to a particularly brazen case of trespass, a ’ young Maori, Joe Kingi, ap- , peared before Messrs. L. H. Brown and J. King, J.P.s in the Whakatane Court last Monday morning. Kingi, who was accused of being found on enclosed premises without lawful excuse on the night of September 1, looked very sorry for himself, and elected to be dealt with summarily.

Sergeant Farrell said that for some time past, the licensees of both, hotels had been annoyed by - the number of young Maoris who frequented the domestic quarters atnight and made a nuisance of themselves. Numerous complaints had been made to the police, and it was time to make a firm stand, in order to stamp the practice out. In Kingi’s case, the accused had forced his way into a bedroom where two- female members of the staff were accommodated. Both had left and slept elsewhere, and the accused calmly 4 appropriated one of the beds and slept there till morning. He had no right whatsoever on the premises. Sergeant Farrell added that accused worked at the Paper Mills and though nothing previously had been known against him, it was felt that an example should be made in order to act as a deterrant to others.

Kingi, who had nothing to say, was sentenced to a month’s term in gaol.