THE COURTS.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18423, 2 July 1925, Page 7

THE COURTS.

MAGISTERIAL. WEDNESDAY. (Before Mr Wyvern Wilson, S.M.) DRUNKENNESS. For the second time within six months. Albert Joseph Beil admitted a charge of drunkenness. He was convicted and fined 20s. in default 48. hours' imprisonment. Two other men who appeared for the first time on a charge of drunkenness were each convicted and fined 10s, in default 2-1 hours' imprisonment. THREATENING BEHAVIOUR. Charged with having used threatening behaviour on the Heathrote railway station, a middle-aged man named George Mason (Mr W. J. Cracroft Wilson) pleaded guilty. Mason, who is a wharf labourer at Lytteltou. has a wife and three children. His Worship convicted and fined defendant 40s and costs. t NATIVE GAME. The minimum fine of £3 was imposed on T. H. Beere, who was convicted of having (aken, killed, or pursued native game at Lake Ellesmere. T. A. R. Xewlovc v.-as convicted and fiued 20s and costs for having shot a grey duck at Coutts' Island iu a clote reason. On a similar charge A. F. Manning was convicted without penalty. ON LICENSED I'REMfSES. For having been found on the Dominion Hotel after hours, Alexander M. C. Tuk was convicted and fined 20s aud costs. Joseph Fox was similarly dealt with for having been found on tlie Rotheilicld Hotel after hours. DAIRYMEN CONVICTED. A Prebbleton dairyman named William Craythorne admitted having sold milk from his premises, even ihoiich lliey were not registered rn a dairy. Ho was convicted aud fin«d 20s and costs." For similar offences. Arthur Davey. of Halswell. wm convicted and fined 20s and costs, while William' Downev, also a dairyman, of Halsv.ell (who has since registered his premises) was convicted and fiued 10s and costs. SHEEP-DROVER CHARGED.'. The Ricearton Borough Council proceeded against a sheep-drover named Leonard Wilson for having driven a mob of sheep (100S) throush the borough. His Worship said the charge was not a frequent one. and he considered - the case would be met by ordering Wilson to pay the costs. BREAKING AND ENTERING. A • 17-year-old youth named Eric James Richardson, of Christchurch, admitted having broken and entered the house of William Perry, Christehurch, and stolen a silver watch and a gold watch, valued at £l2. . After hearing the • evidence, his Worship committed the accused to the Supreme Court for sentence. On the application of Mr Cottrell, who appeared for Richardson, bail was allowed. SERIOUS CHARGES. A married man named Alfred Frederick Gwatkin, residing in Woolston, appeared charged with having carnally known a 14-year-old girl, and with having attempted carnally to know another girl aired 12 rears at M oolston. Gwatkin, who is 2.-) vears' of age, has a wife and two young children. Accused pleaded guilty to the first charse, and was accordingly committed to the Supreme Court for sentence. On the second charge he pleaded not guilty, and was committed for trial. . ASSAULT CASES.

A charge of having assaulted W. A. Diamond, at Lincoln, was admitted bv William Alexander Dempster, a young man," who was also charged with having used obscene language.

On the assault charge Dempstei- wps convicted and fined 40s and costs, while on the second charge he was convicted and fined -Os and costs. "Not guilty," was the plea entered by Joseph Dooley, a young man (Mr A. J. Alalley), who was charged with having assaulted Albert Scarlett, an 11-year-old schoolboy (who was represented by Mr A. H. Haslam). . Accused was convicted and fined 40s and costs, half of the fine to be paid to the hoy. DYNAMITING FISH. # The North Canterbury Acclimatisation Society (Mr M. J. Gresson) charged James and toward Smith with having used an explosive substance in - the Selwyn river, near Lake Ellesmere, on April 26th, for the purpose of catching or destroying fish. Both the defendants, who were represented by Mr W. It. Lascelles, denied the charges, while Robert Siniili, who was charged with having speared a trout in the river, pleaded guilty. His Worship convicted and fined James and Ed%vard Smith £lO each and costs. Robert Smith was convicted and fined 40s and costs for spearing the trout. ARMS ACT BREACHES. For having failed to notify the authorises'of a change in his address, Sydneyrjohn Winter, who admitted being in possession of a pea-rifle, was fined -5s and costs. The weapon was forfeited. Oh a similar charge in respect of a revolver, Alfred Ernest Reay was ordered to pay costs only. He was also ordered to pay costs for having delivered the weapon to another person without a permit. ACCOUNTANT'S THEFTS. An accountant named Robert Abercrombie Brown, a man, who, • until his sudden disappearance in June, was employed by Turnbull and Jones, Ltd., Christchurcii, apepared to answer ten charges of theft of various sumr. of money (totalling £9s' 5s 4d> (mm the frm. After hearing the evidence, Brown pleaded guilty, and his Worship committed him to the Supreme Court for sentence. ' - .•■•,- FENCING CASE. In the adjourned case in which Mrs C. Smith applied for the 'determination of a fencing dispute under the Fencing Act of 1908, with Misses' Una Teodore Digby and Marion C C. Munro, his, Worship made an order that the fence to be erected be one of V.D.L. palings, the fence to be erected by Mrs Smith and half cost to be paid by the defendants. The properties are situated at Estuary road, Redcliffs, and the fence will b« erected between "them. • - (Uoforc Sir H. V. Widdowson, S.M.) CiVlI. CASZ. E. G. Seed, salesman, of Christchurcii, claimed from Misses Pettigrew and Marshall, who have been trading lately as milliners, of Christchurcii, £52 6s 4d, the balance of rent owing ior the ycvtu-inu and use of a shop vi'ir.cd' by the p.umliiL to the defendants. The plaintiff claimed that he gave the defendants' possession and use of a shop in Colombo street at a weekly rental of £2 and rates. The defendants' went into possession on September 25th, 1922, and vacated the shop on Maxch 10th, 1923. They were in possession Tor 24 weeks, and the rent amounted to £4B and the rates to £9 6s 4d. On April 11th, 1923, the defendants paid the plaintiff £5, and he claimed for the balance. The defendants counter-claimed for £BB 5s Cd. ' • Mr W. F. Tracy appeared for the plaintiff and Mr M. J. Burns for the defendants. Judgment was given for the plaintiff on the claim for the full amount, and the defendants were nonsuited on the counterclaim.

IN OTHER PLAGES.

"TAKE A PULL." (press asjociation ieleorAm.) . WELLINGTON,' J iky I. "If you don't take a pull youvs£f it means you -Ma going to spendl practically all your life, in gaol, aaid Mr V,. k. Kiddell, S.M., in the . Magistrates Court this morning to Patrick Thomas McGovcrn aged 19, who pleaded guilty to two charges of theft of goods valued at £U frcm weekend cottages at Porinia. Norman Albert Johnson pleaded gux.ty to the same Ch i a t S was pointed out that McGovern had bad from had been in an industrial school. I^ater !^aT\ 6 W ■*™«* r £ I &£SS JS %^^£&±& ° P be a little mo. T as. S ed^t^ S for a week.