FAMILIAR SMELL

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 19985, 10 July 1939, Page 4

FAMILIAR SMELL

SMOKING OF OPIUM CONSTABLE’S KEEN NOSE HEAVY FINES IMPOSED While he was on duty in Gladstone road at 2.20 pan. yesterday Constable R. Moore noticed, a smell reminiscent of his- service iri the Hainlng street area in Wellington, and, seeking the co-operation of Senior-Sergeant J. F. H. Macnamara, he made a raid on a shop in Gladstone road, the raid resulting in an interesting display of opium-smoking gear in the Police Court this morning and l the appearance of Chin Chow, alias Ah Chew, aged 50, a Chinese gardener, before Mr. E. L. Walton, S.M., charged firstly with smoking opium and secondly with being in possession of utensils for the smoking of opium.

Through (Ills counsel, Mr. L. T Barnard, .the accused pleaded guilty on both counts.

Prosecuting, Senior-Sergeant Macnamara said that, in company with Constable Moore, he visited the premises in Gladstone road 1 and there found flic /defendant smoking the opium. A search was made of the premises, but no other opium or material for 'smoking it was found. The opium smoked was known as ".seconds." this being opium which already (had been used. There were several previous convictions against the defendant.

For the defendant Mr. Burnard pointed out the lapse of time between the last offence and' the present one. The defendant had no means and had been out of work for several months. For this reason he asked for a light penalty to be fixed. The defendant was convicted and fined £l2 10s and costs on the first charge and convicted and fined £25 and costs on the second. An order for the confiscation of the materials was made, the defendant being given time to pay the fines, subject to his reporting to the police station daily.