MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 163, 30 March 1918, Page 12

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

POLICE AND CIVIL CASES,

At the Magistrate's Court on Thursday Mr.. S. E. M'Carthy, S.M., presided, and dealt with the police and civil cases.

Patrick Francis Newton pleaded guilty to the theft on March 19 .of a wrought steel bottle and 221b. mercury, valued at £5 13s. Bd., the property o£ the Wellington Gas Company. Inspector Maruack stated that the man had been in the employ of the* Gas Company, and had the opportunity of taking the bottle away. He sold the mercury to a second-hand dealer for £2. _ The accused said he was under the influence of drink when he stole the bottle and sold it. When ho discovered what he had done next morniug he tore up the cheque for £2, and wanted to return the goods. He said lie was a married man with a family, and asked for a chance. Ho was convicted, and ordered to come up for sentence when called upon, a prohibition order to be effective for twelve months was issued against him, and he was ordered to pay the second-hand doaler £2 for the recovery of the goods. Timothy Driscoll, a guard on Somes Island, who was found drank, was convicted and ordered to be handed over to the military authorities. ' For insobriety, two first offenders were each fined 205., with the option of forty-eight houre , imprisonment, and another was fined 10s. with the alternative of twenty-four hours' imprisonment. Another offender was convicted and ordered to bo handed over to the military authorities.

ALL ABOUT A PORTMANTEAU. J. W. French proceeded against TV. Belcher, bag manufacturer, Courtenay Place, to recover £2 10a., the value of a portmanteau, and £1 damages, resulting from the detention of the bag. Plaintiff took the portmanteau to the defendant to be cleaned and repaired, but objected to the price charged for the work, and consequently defendant would not deliver up the bag to him. The Magistrate held that no definite price had been agreed upon between the parties when the bag was accepted for repaire, and that the price- charged was a reasonable one. Defendant wag ordered to deliver up the portmanteau to the plaintiff on the latter paying se. 6d. and 21s. solicitor's fee. Mr. E. M. Beechoy appeared for the defendant. DEFAULT CASES. Judgment was given for plaintiff by default in the following cases: —H. R. AVallace v. Ben Ridings, £5, costs £1 17s. 6d.; Wellington Drivers' Union v. Edward Hayes, £1 14s. 6d\, costs 75.; C. and A. Odlin'Timber Co., Ltd., v Henry Mayr, £33 18s. 10a., costs £33; Samuels aiiu Kelly, Ltd., v. Wareham and Elliott, £7 12s. 9d., costs £1 3s. 6d.; Wellington Drivers' Union v. John Griffin, £1, cost', 55.; John Duthie and Co., Ltd., v. W. 0. Wilkiniion. £10 lUs. 9d., ousts 18s.; Townsend and Paul, Ltd., v. R. L. Caldwell, £13 155., costs £1 16s. 6d.; Public Trustee' v. Walter Stanloy Brown, £16 55., costs £1 13s. 6d.; same v. A. Rennic, £4 lls., costs lOs.; Commercial Agency, Ltd., and W. Martin v. St. Scoringe. ■C 4 175., costs 10s.; Commercial Agency, Ltd., v. Captain A. C. C. Stevens, £20, costs £ k 2 65.; Taylor and Brown v. W. H. Poole, ss. costs only; C. Lindsay Ltd. v. C. B. Carpenter, £1 13s. 9d., costs 10s. JUDGMENT SUMMONS. In judgment summons cases S. V. Mason was ordered to pay the "Wellington Gas Company, Ltd., £3 6s. 3d. by instalment of 2s. 6d. per week; Thomas Donaldson was ordered to pay the Wellington Gas Company, Ltd., £6 Bs. forthwith, or serve three- weeks in gaol.