POLICE COURT

Evening Star, Issue 19803, 29 February 1928, Page 4

POLICE COURT

WEQNESDAY, FEBRUARY 29. (Before Mr J. R. Bartholomew, S.M.) PUGNACIOUS YOUNG MAN. Colvin Harris, a strongly-built young man, was charged with having assaulted Walter Goodman. He pleaded “Guilty in self-defence,” which was taken as a plea of “Not guilty.” Chief-detective Cameron said that Goodman was in hospital, though not in a serious condition. The police were prepared to go on with tho witnesses available. Cyril John Mowatt, a. boy, said that at 6.30 ji.ni. on February 23 he saw accused in Carroll street in company with two women. There was also an old man there, and accused hit the old man (who was well intoxicated) twice, knocking him down. The accused and the women then walked away, the old man followed, and again the accused hit the old man, who apparently gave no provocation. Constable Taylor said accused had been identified by the boy out of nine men. He had then made a statement in which he said that the complainant had struck him after he (accused) had given him money and drink. Accused said that on talking to complainant ho found that they were both interested in boxing. Complainant had become a nuisance and had hit him several times after being lent money and “shouted” drink. The Magistrate: Convicted. What is known about hunt The Chief Detective; He lias a bad record, your Worship. His Worship, remarking that it was a gross assault and might have had serious consequences, sentenced accused to one mouth's imprisonment with hard tabor. “A GAY TIME.” Sydney James Gibson, for whom Mr W. L. "Moore appeared, was charged as follows:—(1) That on February 16, frith intent to defraud, ho received from Charles Hincliclilf the sum of £l2 15s by means of a valueless cheque; (2) that on February 18 he obtained £lO from the same complainant by the same means; (3) that on February 20 lie obtained from tho same complainant by the same means £25 10s; (4) that oil February 21 bo obtained from Savorio Massetti tho sum of £lO 10s by means of a valueless cheque; (5) that on February 22 he obtained from Reid and Gray £5 by similar means; and (6) that he forged a cheque for £l2 15s purporting To be drawn by P. A. Gibson in favor of M. Tagney, and that lio uttered the said cheque to M. Tagney. Chief-detective Cameron said that accused came from Wyndham and stayed at the Prince of Wales Hotel. After being there a few days lie asked the licensee for a cheque form, and, this being produced, he got the licensee to alter the name of the bank to that of tho Bank of Australasia, Invercargill, and to fill it in for £l2 15s. Accused signed this and paid part of it for his board. Ho then began negotiations with a man for the purchase of a trotting mare, and ultimately obtained another cheque form, bad it filled in (this time for £10) as before, and cashed it. Accused then accompanied the owner of the mare to Oamaru in a taxi, fixed up the transaction, and returned, accused meantime borrowing 19s from the taxi driver. Next he obtained another cheque form, which was filled in for £B, out of the proceeds of which he paid the taxi fare (£7). By similar means he obtained the other sums mentioned in the charges. When arrested he had only £3 in his possession. He had evidently been having a gay lime, added tho Chief Detective, and had gone through £7O or £BO. Tho police report from Wyndham concerning accused (who was a married man living apart from his wife) was not very satisfactory. On the charge of forgery a remand to Invercargill was asked for.

Mr Moore, in defence of accused, stated lie had been instructed by Gibson’s mother to appear. He called to His Worship’s notice that all accused’s lapses had occurred within a few' days, and it looked as though he were under the influence of liquor, although he did not know if this was the case prior to the first offence. However, he must have been drunk when he obtained the money. It was significant that on four of the charges the money was obtained from hotelkeepers,' and the court should show' little sympathy towards the men who gave him the money. Accused worked on it farm rented by his mother. Counsel asked the court to show as much clemency as possible. He must be remanded to Wyndham on the charge of forgery. _ The Magistrate said this was not a case where the misdeeds had been done by a man in a maudlin state, for the way in which some of the money was obtained showed deliberation on the part of accused. In view of the series of lapses there was only one course he could follow'. On the first charge accused was convicted and ordered to come up for reformative treatment for a period of two years. On all the other charges he was convicted, with the exception that on the charge of forgery he was remanded to Invercargill to come up on March 1.