MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2814, 4 July 1916, Page 9

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

ALLEGED UNPROVOKED ATTACK Mr. L, G. Boid, S.M., presided at yesterday s sitting o£ the Magistrate's Court. John William M'Clure appeared to answer charges of having used threatening behaviour in Willis Street, and of having used obsene language. He pleaded not guilty to both charges. It was alleged that accused had made an unprovoked attack upon his brother at the tatter's shop. Certain partitions had been broken, and some of the contents of the shop had been damaged.. The accused was very" excited when arrested, but was quite sober.' His Worship suggested that M'Clure should be placed under medical observation and remanded him for a week.

VARIOUS POLICE CASES. George Cooper was remanded for a week on a charge of being helplessly drunk. A' plea of guilty was entered by Hugh Reid, charged with being drunk while in charge of a horse and express. Evidence snowed that defendant had fallen out of the express, ' thus causing the horse to bolt. A fine of 10s. was imposed. Isaac Schack, a Rusisoa Jew, was charged with deserting from the British steamer Kia Ora at Auokland on, December 12, 1015. He was als9 charged with the theft of a pair of pliers, valued at 2s. lid., the property of Cecil Bland. On the application of Chief-Defective Boddam accused was remanded to appear at Auckland on July 10. MAINTENANCE CASES. Mary Louisa Clarke was convicted and sentenced to fourteen days' imprisonment, the warrant to be suspended, so lonp as she pays 2s. per week off arrears, which amounted to i! 5 lis. 6d.

May Wills had allowed arrears .. to mount up to ,£23 125., and His Worship, taking a lenient view of the case, consented to them being reduced to J!5. He also convicted her, and ordered fourteen days' imprisonment,, the warrant to be suspended provided sho pays Is. per week off the arrears. A week'was allowed Timothy O'Connor in which to pay arrears amounting to .£3, with costs 10s. Gd. If he does not pay he will have to undergo imprisonment for fourteen flays.

An order was made against Charles Mercer to pay 10s. per. week off arrears amounting to ,£2l 17s. 6d. If he fails to do this he will hare to go to gaol for a fortnight.. Thomas Francis Bustin applied for a variation and remission.' of arrears .in connection with a maintenance order mnde in respect of his wife and two children. His Worship remitted £5 15s. off arrears, and mado' an order that Bustin should pay ss. per wook off the remaining .£5. . The original order, which was one of .£1 155., per week, was reduced to «C 1 10s. :

An affiliation order in respect of an unborn illegitimate child wiis asked'for by Ruth Alice. Brown,, of Hokitika, against Clarence Marpl?. His Worship said that in his. opinion tho corroborative evidence was not quite-strong enough, and he would therefore "dismiss the case without prejudice." The . verdict, said tho Magistrate, was . equivalent- to the Scotch verdict. of "not proven." Ho did this so as •to enable the informant to bring further corroborative evidence forwdrd'if she thought fit.