MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 74, 20 December 1917, Page 11

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

ASSAULT ON A TRAM OFFICIAL

Mr. S. K. M'Carthy, S.M., presided at the Magistrate's Court yesterday, and dealt with tho following cases:— A well set up young man named Alexander Maters was charged with using obscoiio language in a tramcnr, and also with assaulting Frederick Richard Stevenson, an inspector on tho tramway staff. Inspector . Marsack stated that tho defendant was a passenger on a ear going up Tinakori Road on tho afternoon of November 2". Ho was asked by the conductor for his fare, v-hich ho refused to pay, and got off tlio car. At-tho time the defendant was under the influence of liquor. Frederick Richard Stevenson, . tram inspector, said his attention was called to the defendant by tho conductor of tho tram. Waters, who had evidently been drinking, was then on the road. Ho had paid twopence on one train, and refused to pay his faro on another. Witness spoko to the man, who suddenly struck him on the ear, and at the samo time used obscene language. Plain-clothes Constable Tricklebank said that Waters had given iiim a wrong address. In answer to tho accused, witness stated that c.n the wharf, where Waters was occasionally omployed, his charactor was not good. In a statement (unsworn) defendant stated that he was over-carried on the tram, and while in a drunken :.-.ate had refused to pay Lis faro back to tho stop-ping-place. _ The Magistrate remarked that drunkenness -was not a sufficient excuse for the use of filthy language. Defendant was fined £10 for using obscene- language, and convicted and discharged for the assault.

AN EXPENSIVE JOKE. A married woman named Phyllis Levina Evelyn Gilboy, for whom Mr. P. W. Jackson appeared, pleaded f.uilty to four charges of obtaining goods by means of a false pretence. Chief-Detective Boddam stated that the accusod visited four establishments on Tuesday, July 31, and purchased articles of the aggregate valuo of £6 6s. 10d., of which goods valued at £3 Bs. 9d. were obtained from Veitch and Allan, £1 2s. 6d. from George and George, 16s. <ld. from C. Smith Ltd., rnd 19s. 3d. from the D.I.C. In every case the accused told tho shop assistant to enter the goods to Mrs. _ Mitcheson, wife of Mr. Mitcheson, painter, Newton. Only a small portion of tho goods had been recovered, and as they had been worn they were useless to the shopkeepers. After securing tho goods tho accused went to Wanganui, where sho was arrested. Her husband was at the froilti and she had one child. ' Mr. Jackson said the accused did not realisoshe was bringing herself within the criminal law. It was practically a joke, and the accused had no idea of ! obtaining the goods by means of a false protence. i Her father lived in the South Island, and her relatives

were prepared' to look after l;er, provided the _ Court allowed them to do so. If given an opportunity Ihe accused would undertake to refund the value of the goods. His "Worship, remarked that no ordin ary person could do what the tccused had dono and not realise that a dishonest act was being perpetrated. The authorities should have somo control over her. She : would ho convicted and ordered to come up for sontence when called upon, to refund the valuo of the goods, and to report to the probation officer onco a fortnight for twelve 'months. A YOUNG THIEF. A youth eighteen years of ago pleaded guilty to tho, theft of a number of drills and a drilling-machine, valued at £6 55., Chief-Detective Boddam stated that Arnold had been employed as a motor mechanic apprentice by_ Mr. Croucher since May last, and during that period tho youth had been employed as a motor mechanic , approntico since May last, and during that period nothing previously known against him, and his parents were very respectable people. The accused was convicted and ordered to come tip for sentence wlicu called upon, and was also ordered to report to the probation officer once a fortnight for twelvo months.