POLICE COURT

Evening Star, Issue 20051, 17 December 1928, Page 9

POLICE COURT

MONDAY, DECEMBER 17. (Before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M.) BY-LAW OFFENCES. Charged with allowing a horse to wander, Patrick George Dysart was fined 5s and costs. , For being in charge of an unlighted motor car, John Church was fined 5s and costs. Jack Arthur Debenham, charged with driving a vehicle on a footpath, appeared after an adjournment from last week. Sergeant Boulton gave evidence regarding measurements, and after evidence was given for the defendant, a fine of 20s (with witnesses’ expenses 10s and court costs 13s) was imposed, the Magistrate remarking that this locality (Hayes terrace) was no place for cars. They should be prohibited from entering it. William Middlcmas was charged with dangerous driving, Senior-sergeant Quartermain stating that one evening defendant was driving along the Main South road, when he cut down one of several cyclists who were coming out of Surrey street. The defendant stated that he was at about twentyfive miles an hour, which the police considered too fast for a crossing. However, the defendant bad acted very decently in the matter, because he had sent £ls to the rider. It w'as presumed by the defendant that the cyclists should have given the right of way to the traffic. Tins was so, but it w T ns the speed that was the basis of the charge. The defendant was fined 10s and costs (19s). ■ MAINTENANCE DEFAULT.

Francis Pringle, for whom Mr T. O’Shea appeared, was charged with being £l4 8s in arrears in respect to a maintenance order. Mr B. S. Irwin appeared for the complainant. The defendant stated that he was a rabbiter, sixty years of age, who did odd jobs in the summer time. From the_ skins he had made about £l6O, and it had cost him £1 a week for food. He had paid a boy £BO out of the £l6O. For the past three months he had not been working, having been down with influenza and boils. Mr Irwin submitted that the defendant lived a pretty gay life. The case was adjourned on condition that the current order of 5s a week was paid. Lewis O’Connor, whoso case was adjourned from last week, appeared in answer to the charge of being £25 17s 6d in arrears in respect to a maintenance order. He ivas sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, the warrant to be suspended as long as he pays 10s a week current maintenance and 5s a week off the arrears until they are paid. Frank Williams was charged with the disobedience of two maintenance orders, the arrears in each amounting to £4 17s 6d. Senior-sergeant Quartermain explained that the orders were in respect of his two children, who had to be taken away from him. Witness was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment, the warrant to bo released on payment of arrears, the warrant not to issue till applied for.

Earland James Patterson was cliarged with failing to provide for Ms children. Mr C. J. L. White appeared for the defendant, and Mr F. C. Barnett for the complainant. After legal argument concerning the guardianship of the children, the case was adjourned til] January 21, the wife to have control of the children till then, the husband to have reasonable access to them and to pay maintenance at the rate of £2 per week. Harold Kennedy was charged with the disobedience of a maintenance order, the arrears amounting to £l2 3s. Defendant did not appear, and was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment, the warrant to be suspended so long as ho paid the current order of 7s 6d per week and. 10s per wok off the arrears. ASSAULT CHARGE. I A remand till Friday was granted in ! the case of Mary Agnes Hutchison, charged with assaulting Maud Proctor. Senior-sergeant Quartermain said said the woman who was struck was .still in the hospital. “A BAD TRIO.” Reginald Robert Sutherland, Albert George Rodgers, and Samuel Joseph Bice were cliarged with breaking and entering the warehouse occupied by Keith Stuart Ramsay, and with stealing a wallet valued at 10s. Chief-detective Cameron asked for a remand till Friday. There were a number of other cases to bo investigated. Mr C. J. L. White, who appeared for Bleo and Rodgers, said bo did* not oppose a remand j but asked for bail. The Chief Detective opposed bail, being granted. They wore a bad trio, and ho thought a day or two in prison would do them uo harm. Ho thought when His Worship had heard the circumstances of the case he would agree that the accused would probably have to go to the Borstal. They were bad behaved lads of eighteen, nineteen, and twenty years of ago. The case of Keith Ramsay’s was a particularly serious one, as, in addition to breaking and entering tbo place, they set lire to it, and had tbo liro succeeded in catching the woodwork tho damage •would probably have run into thousands of pounds. Ho thought they should be kept in custody. Mr White said they appeared on one charge only, and their parents ■ -were willing to take care of them. His Worship said he would remand tho accused till Friday, and bail would bo allowed in the accused’s own recognisance of £25, and ono surety of £25, conditional upon their reporting daily to the police. FALSE PRETENCES. Frederick Westland pleaded guilty to two charges of false pretences, the first involving the obtaining from William Cornelius O’Donnell goods to tbo value of £5 7s (id by means of falsely representing that he was a representative of the Agricultural Department, and tho second the obtaining of £7 6s from Arthur Geddes by falsely representing that he was employed by the Mil burn Lime and Cement Company. ’ Chief-detective Cameron said that after the accused obtained the £7 odd from Mr Geddes ho went to Oaraaru the following day and committed a similar offence. His WorsMp would remember that the accused had come before him at Oamaru. A remand till Friday was granted, pending investigations by the probation officer. WHILE WAITING FOR A CAR. John Lecf was charged with behaving in a disorderly manner in Princes street. Senior-sergeant Quartermain said that the defendant was near the Ascot Company’s shop at the corner of Princes street and Rattray street. Ho was wanting to light all and sundry, and walked up and down yelling out. “ I was coming down the street when a chap pulled me up and said ‘ What are you doing hero, you —P You should be walking* over _ there, 1 ” said the defendant. Continuing, he stated that some men from his ship, the Ruapehu, said that he should not lot the man call him that, and therefore he went after him. . The Senior Sergeant; 1 understand that the police remonstrated with him two ■ or- three times before they arrested him. Defendant: My boy friend suggested we should go home, and we were waiting for a car. Senior-sergeant Quartermain; He stared the constable in the face and shouted, “ I am waiting for a car, car, car.” ' The magistrate imposed a line of 22s 6d, in default twenty-four hours’ inipmomuenfc. .. . •