CHARGE OF AIDING BOOKMAKERS

Grey River Argus, 16 April 1948, Page 3

CHARGE OF AIDING BOOKMAKERS

Against Secretary ■ of Sportsmen’s Assn. P.A. AUCKLAND, April 15. Cyclostyled sheets, showing dividends, track conditions, and scratchings for various race meetings, also lists and rules and members and asserted office material, were seized in a raid on the Auckland office of the Dominion Sportsmen’s Association on December 30 last. These were produced before Mr J. Morling, S.M., when Les Robert Poole, secretary and treasurer, faced six charges of aiding persons in carrying on the business of bookmakers. Six further charges, of publishing dividends of horse races, were adjourned by consent. '

Sub-Inspector Daly conducted the prosecution. Messrs W. E. Leicester and J. Terry appeared for the defendant.

Constable H. C. Richardson said the office was equipped with a - typewriter and eight telephones. Witness gave evidence of raids on bookmakers’ premises in Auckland during 1947, in which cyclostyled sheets identical with those produced in Court were found by the police. ’ A large folder, ' containing the names and addresses of 97 members in the Auckland 'city area, and 63 in the province, was also produced by witness, who said that 80 of the 160 persons had been convicted of breaches of the Gaming Act. Limit cards, giving the Association’s limits for trotting and- galloping meetings, and telegrams in code and acceptance cards were also seized by the police. Witness added that, apart from the documents produced, there was no evidence of any other business being conducted on the premises. Cross-examined by Mr Leicester. Witness said that the material seized showed that the Association had been working for 14 years, supplying information to its members. DONATIONS 4 Witness said that the Association’s cheque book showed that the following amounts were paid on December 112 last:—Blind Institute; Auckland City Mission; Children's Health Camp; Little Sisters of the Poor; Provincial Comforts Committee; Methodist Central Mission; Waterside Workers’ Picnic Club: Sister Esther; Leper Man; and Home for Backward Children: £lO 10s each; Discharged Prisoners’ Aid Society: Sailors’ Home; St. Mary’s Home: and Home of Compassion, £5 5s each. Sergeant R. J. Hamilton said that after he entered the office during the raid, the defendant handed him three papers. They were “Facts and Figures on Bookmaking in New Zealand; Rules of the Association; and a circular called "Police, Bookmakers and Bettors are Happier when OffCourse Bets are Legalised”. The defendant told witness that these papers would explain all. Witness said he took 14 calls on telephones from persons asking for race results while the raid was on.

To Mr Leicester, witness said he knew that the Gaming Commission report was published several days after the raid. He did not know if his Department was aware that the report was adverse to bookmaking at the time of the raid. The raid was left until December 30, as the police did not have sufficient evidence to go in until then. > Three persons convicted of bookmaking, Francis Regis Malloy, and Kisha Dana, and Alfred Melvin Wyatt, said they were members of the Sportsmen’s Association. They had received cyclostyled sheets of results and dividends.

William George Leland, inquiry officer at the Chief Post Office, said eight telephones in the Association’s! office were not listed in the telephone directory. Six were installed before .1936, and one had been put in as early as 1908. The defendant pleaded not guilty to all of the charges, and was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. Bail of £lOO on his own recognisance was allowed.