CITY POLICE COURT.

Evening Star, Issue 4317, 28 December 1876, Page 2

CITY POLICE COURT.

Thursday, December 28. (Before T. Birch, Esq.,J.P.) Drunkenness. Joseph Doman, alias T. Kelens, John Burnes, and Hugh Sheridan were fined 5s each, in default twenty four hours’ imprisonment; Paul Jones, aliaw William Bunbury, and Elizabeth Brown each 10s or forty-eight hours’; Mary Anne M‘Kenzie was dismissed. Charge against a Police-Constable.— James Wilson pleaded guilty to a charge of drunkenness. In reply to Inspector Mallard as to whether he had received unduly severe treatment at the hands of the police-constable he stated that he did not remember.—lnspector Mallard: Then I will ask your Worship to hear the evidence, because two or three persons residing in Fleet street said the constable was unnecessarily harsh. I told those persons to be here tbia morning prepared to give evidence. Constable Moroney stated that about 6.30 p.m. yesterday evening he ar- ■ rested the accused in Fleet street for drunkenness. In Manse street he offered resistance, but afterwards walked as far as the Arcade. There he again resisted and fell. Witness got on top of him and tried to handcuff him. A crowd of people gathered round and said witness should let the prisoner go.—By Inspector Mallard: I have been a police constable for sixteen years and considered it necessary to handcuff him. The bye standers refused to assist me in handcuffing the prisoner when asked to do so.—Sergeant O’Neil stated that he assisted the constable in bringing the prisoner from the Arcade. Prisoner was excited and inclined to be violent.—ln reply to a question by his Worship prisoner stated that be did not feel hurt from blows received "from the police.—lnspector Mallard stated that prisoner had been apprehended several times by the police before and was a violent man when under arrest. George Eve, tailor in the Arcade, deposed that he heard prisoner ask the constable to let him Walk quietly. He saw the constable seize prisoner by the arm and throw; him on his back. The constable then put his knees on prisoner’s chest and face. When witness interfered the constable remarked, “You may as well assist me.” Witness detested drunken men, but he considered that the prisoner had been brutally treated.—His Worship thought that the case had been magnified. Prisoner himself stated that he did not feel the effect of any ill-treatment, and his Worship was of opinion that no unnecessary ill-usage had been resorted to. Prisoner was fined ss, in default twenty-four hours’ imprisonment. Wife Desertion. —Joseph Phillips was charged by Margaret Phillips, his wife, with having, at Dunedin, on November 17, deserted her and their three children, and left them without any means of support. Com{dainant stated that her husband was now iving with her and supporting his family. The charge was accordingly withdrawn. Theft. —John Moroney was charged by Patrick Coffey with having on December 22 stolen one silver watch of the value of L 5. Mr Adams defended and pleaded that the prisoner was drunk when he stole the watch. —The Bench sentenced him to two months’ imprisonment.