MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1979, 9 February 1914, Page 11

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

* - LICENSEE I GUESTS, Sir. W. G. lliddoll, in tho Magistrate's Court 011 Saturday morning, delivered judgment concermng tho ease heard Inst Monday, in which Percy Sogers, licensee of tho Shamrock Hotel, was charged that-, 011 January 17, he did open his premises for the sale of liquor during prohibited hours. In the police cvidonce it was stated that a light was noticed early in the ing in one of the rooms, and that conversation was heard, suggestive of cardplayiug. . Subsequently two nieii Wore aoen to leave the hotel. The defence was that the licensee had been entertaining'guests. In delivering judgment, His Worship drew special attention to the fact that . one of the men was allegedly intoxicated. Evidently, he-said, the mail's condition was not -snch as,to warrant arrest for drunkenness. "There arfi _ authorities,'' lib continued, "which niako it plain that a license© is not liable to be convicted in a case like this f when there are no laeans of ingress for the ' general public. In this case it cannot be said that ally weans of ingress were and under those circumstances tho information' must be dismissed." . In connection with this case, Jafnes Joss Carson and George Charles John Taylor. wero both charged with being unlawfully on licensed premises.' I'hesS informations were also dismissed, Mr. Itiddcll contending that it} had been ' proved that the men were guests of tho licensee. Tho Act permitted a licenses to entertain bona-fido guests. Sogers had stated that tho two men were into his premises for supper, afid they wero therefore his guests. '"Thore is; however, reason for some suspicion," continued His Worship, "in that one of tho men was intoxicated. In conseqjienco of that, the- licensee fan a great risk. It was ah exceedingly foolish act on his part to allow a guest to.become under thp influence of liquor." At the hearing Mr, T. Young appeared for the defendants. - - ■ OTHER POLICE CASES. Joliu Hyde, charged with insobriety. was fined 40s. a in. default seven days . imprisonment. On a. similar charge, William Stevens was fined 2Qs., or three days, and Charles M'tefinaii 10s. or three days. One first offender was convictcd and discharged. Joseph Bariium, a Swede, was charged with assaulting Andrew M'Gra-th, so as- to cause him actual liod-ilj' harm. Ho was remanded on the application, of the policc to February 11. Charged with theft, at D'unedin, of a pair of binoculars, valued ,fl.t £5, the - property of George Huston., Frederic Everest altered a' plea of girilty,Accused, was remanded until Tuesday for sentence..' ' . • Arthur llichards, a young map ap* I peared on-a charge of having stoltfn £1 7s.' G'd. from the .Labour Department. On the application of Sir. O'C'onnell, he was remanded until February 16. Bail was reduced from £250 to £20.