Bay Of Plenty Wine Co. Tripped Up By Legal Technicalities

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 27, 5 March 1948, Page 5

Bay Of Plenty Wine Co. Tripped Up By Legal Technicalities

A formal plea of not guilty was entered by Mr Barry on behalf of Selwyn George Hirst who faced six charges of breaches of the liquor laws. Hirst holds a permit to sell New Zealand wines from a licensed depot, and the police brought against him two charges of failure to keep proper record books, two charges of delivering liquor from a place other than his licensed premises, and two of selling beer which he was not licensed to handle.

He was convicted on all counts, but fined on three charges only, £2 and costs 10s for failure to keep records, the same for delivery from unlicensed premises and £5, costs 10s, on one of the beer spiling charges. On all the duplicate charges, he was convicted and discharged. Sergeant Collinge said it was not suggested that the defendant was an ordinary sly grog dealer, nor that he had done any public harm. But it was suggested he had taken unto himself the privileges of a wholesaler without holding the necessary license as well .as selling to hotels.' The defendant claimed he was the agent of the breweries concerned and that was not disputed, but the liquor came forward in bulk consignments and was delivered to customers by the defendant. As regards the record book, the defendant had not known one was necessary.

Mr Barry said his client was a man of good character, and quite honestly could not see how he had committed offences with the beer agencies. He had been quite frank with the police. He was unaware of the need to keep a record book, and, as regards the delivery of the liquor, it had been stored correctly, but the delivery method did constitute a trivial breach of the law.