MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 27, 26 October 1918, Page 2

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

- POLICE AND BY-LAW CASES.' Mr. V. V. Frazer, S.M., presided over a sitting of the Magistrates Court yesterday. ; ~ For insobriety two first offenders were each'fined 55., in default 24-hours' imprisonment, 'and another, who failed to ' appear, had his bail of 10s. estreated.' "■ Charged with'being : an 1 -idle and dis--orderly person,' Herbert Stevens pleaded not guilty. • Police evidence was given to the effect that "Stevens had stated he-was out of work and" had been sleeping out of doors for one or two nights past. Stevens had been in trouble for a similar offensive previously. The Magistrate decided to remand the accused for a week for medical observation. Kichard John Stevenson was charged that, being released on probation, he dirt fail to comply with the terms of the same. He was further charged with resisting Constable Murphy. Stevenson was admitted to probation early last inontn for a two years following upon, his conviction on a charge of committing theft from the Porirua Mental Hospital. Ashe failed to report to the Probation Officer the latter instructed ' the police to take action, and when Constable C. Murphy arrested him at the Thorndon Railway Station he resisted .violently, kicked and fought, and even bit one or "the fingers of the constable. The accused in explanation said that he had called at the Probation Officer's office, but found no one in.' Mr. Mills, the Probation Officer, said that an hour had been fixed for Stevenson to.call, but this lie Jiad. not done. Further, he: had left •Wellington for a time, and had given no notice of his whereabouts. The Magistrate said that the. probation system.had been instituted to give offenders a chance to make good. It was a business arrangement, and had Stevenson kept his part of the arrangement the Court would nave kept its part. The probation system must not be allowed to lapse into a creature of mere sentiment. On the charge of-resisting- Constable Murphy, whom the Magistrate considered Steven* son must liavo recognised as the constable, as he had met him previously. A sentence of one mouth's imprisonment was imposed, and in order to hold ,tne passing of sentence on the original ■ charge for which probation was granted the term of probation was extended from two to three years. < For having committed breaches or pro' hibition orders,. Guy Cockburn and Geordina Evelyn Doughty were each fined-AX with 7s. costs,.in default 72 noun' imprisonment.. . •„•■.'.„••"„ A ; John M'Nnmara was fined 20». ana. : costs. 7s.' for being found on licensed, premises after'closing hours. On a ' similar charge Max Wooker, who said that lie was at the hotel for, the purpose of securing- a bed for the night and was on tho premises about five minutes, was givon the benefit of the doubt, and the charge was dismissed. ~.,.- „ For riding a bicycle without lights on the Hutt Koad, Laurence. Swan Henderson was fined ss. and 7s. costs, and Mward Reicho 10s. and costs. _ . For failing to attend drill Leslie Jan es ■ M'Hugh was fined M and costs, m default fourteen days' military detention, and Noel Stanley was ordered to pay costs, 7s, ■--■