MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2653, 27 December 1915, Page 9

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

♦ FRIDAY'S CASES. i Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M., presided at a sitting of the Magistrates Court at 9 o'clock on Friday morning. Frank Martin, who had been arrested for insobriety, admitted the offence, and also pleaded guilty to a charge of deserting from tho New. Zealand Shipping Company's steamer Ituapehu, on which he had been-a duly articled seaman. Ho was sentenced to a month's imprisonment. " James Mulkin did not appear in answer to a summons, charging him with assaulting a police constable.. The assault was merely a technical one, and the Magistrate considered that a fino of 40s. .would meet the case. Default was fixed at seven days' imprisonment. On a charge of being drunk while iii charge of a horse and 'dray in Drumtnond Street, 'William Hedges was fined £2, and ordered to' pay Bs. stable expenses. He was allowed a week in which to find tho money. Two men, who had been remanded for curative treatment on charges of being found'helplessly, drunk, were both convicted. John O'Neill was ordered to pay. 10s. for medical expenses incurred during four days in prison,. while Robert Carroll, wlio had been under treatment for a longer period, was ordered to/pay 17s. 6d. for the expenses thereof. John Patrick . Coyle, who had .been several times recently convicted . for drunkenness, had a further conviction added to his record, and was fined £3. The alternative was a month's imprisonment. John Trimmer, for insobriety, was fined 205., with tho option of fortyright hours' imprisonment. ■ ON CHRISTMAS DAY. Over thirty persons were arrested in the city during Christmas Eve and the small hours of Christmas morning. They were dealt with at a sitting of the Court at 9 o'clock on Saturday, when Major H. F. Davis, J.P., was on the Bench. In all but four cases tho defendants were charged wjtli ,in\ sobriety. The great' majority w'fcro first offenders, and 'were dealt with l in ' tho usual lenient manner. Of those who had prpviously : been convicted, Andrew'. Anderson was fined 205., and May Gibbons 10s., while Helena Frasev and. Anthony Bannister were convicted and discharged. William Henderson and Alexander Petrie were 'remanded until the present week. Thomas Myers, charged with stealing an alarm clock on December 15; was remanded until Friday next. . A similar remand was granted in the case of George William Gibson Watts, who was charged with stealing a rug from Veitcli and Allan's shop 011 Friday. Bail was allowed in the sum of £10. William Charles Hill was remanded until to-morrow morning on' a charge of failing to make provision for an unborn illegitimate chil;d. James Cooke, who was arrested' by Sergeant Wade at 4.15 on Christmas morning, was charged with having assaulted Henry Wilkinson, Henr.v Wilkinson, junr., and William Wilkinson so as to 'cause them actual bodily harm. Tho charges were the outcome of an occurrence in Jew's Boardinghouse, on Lambton Quay. On the application of Sub-Inspector Mackinnon, the accused was remanded imti Friday next. It appears that'the three Wilkinson's (tie father and two sons) were boarders at tne premises, and the accuscd ivas another boarder. The polico allegation is that, after the father had remoiistrated witli Cooke about the latter tempting the sons to drink, Cooke attacked all three with a belt, on which was an Army buckle. Dr. Henry had to-be called to attend tho Wilkinsons, ■who were ■ bleeding freely from head w'ounds. CIVIL ACTION. Mr. W. G. Riddcll, S.M., has delivered his reserved judgment in two civil actions, in which the plaintiffs were Strange and Co., of Christchurch, and the defendants Sanders Bros,, of Wellington. The claim was for £55 3s. 9d. in the one case, and for £164 3s. 6d. in the other, the aniouuts being alleged to be due, in connection with furnishings at the Grand Opera House, for which the defendants (Sanders and Bros.) had been contractors. In both cases tlie Magistrate gave judgment for the plaintiffs for the full amount, with costs totalling £29 6s. PETONE COURT On Saturday, before Messrs. M'Millnn and Short, J.P.'s, James Hayes was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence when called upoii, on a charge of drunkenness and begging.