“POINTING” A GUN

Hokitika Guardian, 15 March 1921, Page 1

“POINTING” A GUN

PROSECUTION UNDER ARMS ACT.

.WELLINGTON, March 12

The first local prosecution under the Arms Act was heard before Mr F. K. Hunt, S.M., at Otaki when a rather unusual action was taken against a. man named Letts for pointing a loaded guif at a young man. At one time similar cases wore a trifle puzzling for a. magistrate in dealing with an offender, but since the enforcement of the Anns Act recently, Section 13, dealing with the particular case under review (that of “pointing” a gun) gives the magistrate full jurisdiction to impose a fine of £2O or a. term of imprisonment not exceeding two months. The circumstances of the case were that a young man had occasion to visit the house of the defendant to pay an account. The defendant’s son came to the. door and for some reason an altercation took place, terminating in a vigorous display of fisticuffs, and whilst thus actively engaged defendant made an appearance, and commanded the vomig man to stop fighting, at the same time pointing a loaded gun at him. The matter was notified to the Otaki police, and court proceedings followed.

Evidence revealed the fact that, the man had kept the gun in his house always loaded. His Worship severely admonished the defendant and imposed a fine of £5.