PETONE COURT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2774, 18 May 1916, Page 9

PETONE COURT

Mr. D. G. A. Cooper, S.M., presided over a sitting of the Magistrate's Court at I'etone yesterday. Cecil E. Y. Taylor, for casting offensive matter on the l'oetpath, was fined ss, and costs./ • Por using insulting language in a railway train, llobert Wakefield was convicted and discharged. On a fiu-ther charge of behaving in a violent and offensive manner 011 tho same occasion, he was fined .£3, with is. witnesses' expenses. John Miller, for whom Jlr. P. W. Jackson . appeared,. was charged with plying for hire in a vehicle without a license. The evidence of the police was that defondant was seen carting furniture out of a house in Jackson Street. Mr. Jackeon contended that as 110 evidence of payment had been given there was 110 caso to answer; The Magistrate, in dismissing tho case, said the offence had not been 'sufficiently proved, 11. H. Smith was fined 55., with 7e. costs, for riding a motor-cyclo without a distinguishing mark. 'l'hos. M'Tntosh was charged with supplying liquor to a member of the Expeditionary I'oroe while in uniform. Tho police gave evidence of having-witnessed defendant handing a bottle of liquor to the soldier in tho anto-room of a dancinghall, and asking him to ha\'e a drink. The defenco was that the bottle was taken by the soldier without permission. Mr. Cooper, S.M., staled that he was in the habit of inflicting a penalty of £5 in similar cases, but. as this case did not appear so bad, the penalty would bo £2, with 7s. costs. Defendant was given fourteen days in which to pay. An application to vary a maintenance order of 2s. Gd. per week in favour of his mother, J.lrs. A. Wood, was made by W. T. Bassett, but. was refused. Mr. P. W. Jackson appeared for Sirs. Wood. An application for a separation order with maintenance for herself and her two children was made by Ethel -Stuart against Donald Stuart.on the grounds of cruelty, drunkenness, and failure to maintain. Mr.' 1). S. Smith appeared for plaintiff. The order was granted, plaintiff being given custody of the children. An order was made against defendant for the payment of 30s. per week, with £2 2s. costs. Henry Hudson Perfect, for whom Mr. P. W. Jackson appeare(l, was .charged with indecently assaulting a girl under 1(5 years of age. Accused reserved his defence; and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial, bail being fixed at 0:10 surety of .£IOO or two of i!io each. CIVIL CASES. Judgment was given by default in the fpllowing undefended civil cases:—Short and Praser v. A. Bains, £2 17s. fid., with ss. costs; A. J..Hooper v. H, A. Griffiths, Bs., with 10s. costs.