Licensing Case

Horowhenua Chronicle, 16 January 1914, Page 3

Licensing Case

A case under the Licensing Act was heard at Levin yesterday, before Mr Poynton, S.M. The defendant was Martin Wilf" >ta, and he was 'charged with uving been found on licensed premises on 3rd Januci.y, 19J 4. Constables Lo-igboUJin ami Lamie were witnesses lor the pioThey statjl thai :hey vjsited the Grand tl Jt<d at I.'; p.m. on the date in question and saw Winiata leave the premises, together with other peop.e. They «t£i.in visited the orem.s-is at II 15 p.m. and fouud Winiata on the premises. His only explanation was that he was a boarder, His name did not appear an the bedroom book, and the police contended that he only claimed to be a boarded there when they discovered him in the hotel after licensed hours. For the defence, Winnie Wilson, barmaid, deposed that defendant asked her for a room between 9.30 and 10 p.m. and that she omitted to book the room for him. , Defendant gave evidence that he met a friend who asked him to stop at the hotel for the night, and he then asked Miss Wilson to book him a room. _At 10 o'clock he went out to inform a man named Royal, whom he had driven in to Levip with, that he would not be going out to Hokio that, night. Then he returned to the hotel. ' f On cross-examination defendant admitted he was a married man with a family, but was now living with his parents. He frequently stopped at the Grand Hotel. The magistrate held that Winiata was a boarder at the hotel on the night in question, and therefore there was no breach. Mr Park appeared for the defendant.