TROUBLE IN THEATRE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20112, 5 December 1939, Page 8

TROUBLE IN THEATRE

SEQUEL IN WAIROA COURT YOUNG MAORI’S OFFENCES BENCH ISSUES WARNING (Special to the Herald.) WAIROA, this day. A disturbance in the Gaiety Theatre on Saturday night had its sequel in the Wairoa Police Court yesterday, when Ephraim a Ruawai, aged 23, a Maori, of Rangiahua, was charged before Messrs. V. E. Winter, and J. Corkill, J.Ps., with behaving in a disorderly manner while drunk, using obscene language in a public place, and disturbing an entertainment. On the second charge he was lined £lO. in default one month’s imprisonment, and on the other two charges he was convicted and discharged. The accused, who was represented by Mr. G. M. OMalley, pleaded guilly ■to all three charges. Sergeant L. T. Moore stated that shortly before 9 o’clock on Saturday evening the police received a call to the Gaiety Theatre. The accused was there and had been disturbing the audience. He had persisted in making a noise and when asked by a young man to desist he refused to do so. He grabbed the young man found the neck and as a result there was a good deal of noise and a scuffle. The lights in the theatre had to be turned on and the picture stopped. It was pointed out by Sergeant Moore that the offence of creating a disturbance was bad enough, but it was infinitely worse to have a young man going to the theatre and using such disgusting language as that used by the accused. There were, he said, a number of women and children in the theatre.

Mr. O'Malley, in asking that the accused be dealt with as leniently as possible, said it was his first offence and had been the result of having too much liquor. This had been a lesson to the accused and he did not think it would occur again. Mr. Corkill said the Bench looked upon the offences as serious ones. On account of his age and the fact that it was his first offence, the Bench had decided to treat the accused leniently. It was to be hoped that this would be a lesson to him.

Mr. Winter told the accused that he must remember that it was just on account of his age and that he had not been before the court before that he had not been sent to gaol.