MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Hokitika Guardian, 5 July 1928, Page 1

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

THURSDAY. JULY sth. (Before W. Meldrum, Esq., S.M.) LICENSING ACT. In a charge of being illegally on licensed premises alter hours an offender (Occidental Hotel) was fined 20s .and costs 10s. POACHING OPOSSUMS..... The Police charged A. Biddington with taking opossums out of season. Mr Murdoch for defendant pleaded guilty, stating that his taking of opossums was duo to a misunderstanding owing to the alteration in the date of the opening of the’ season from the bust two years, which were then opened' earlier in the year.

Albert Edward Biddington said be was a miner formerly working at Ca 11 a glum’s. He bad been a trapper on two previous occasions.. The season onened on June Ist, 1926 and also the previous year, the Westland season opened before other districts in other years. From the notifications he took it that the season opened on June Ist. Correspondence in connection with application for a license were handed in. He recount'd the arrival of tlie Constable and Ranger. Ffe had made no attempt at concealment of his trapping thinking the season was opened. To Sergt. King: lie had not vet got a license. Ho had caught eight opossums. He had gone* later to AD AfcGavoek to seo about his permit and the latter had slammed the door in his face and said he did not ileal with a poacher. His Worship said it was put before him that defendant had thought the season was open. That was hot an excuse but only a mitigation of the offence. Defenda.ht would be convicted and lined £2 and costs 10s, the skins seized to he forfeited. ANOTHER CHARGE.

The Police charged Albert AVrobliski with taking opdsatims out of season. Mr Murdoch for defendant pleaded guilty. Defendant giving evidence said he had 'been trapping before. He had eighteen skins. The 11 estland season always opened on June Ist in previous years. He had his cows coming in earlier next year, a week before the season closed, and so thought there would be no harm in start!..» a. week earlier.

Tto Sei'gt. King: He knew when the season opened, and thought there would he no harm (n starting before the season opened. His Worship said the defenditiit had been quite frank. He knew that he had been , breaking the law. .Defendant would be convicted and fined £4 and costs, the skins being forfeited. No order was made about the traps. MORE OPOSSUMS.

The police charged Fred Newman, with' on Ist. .Tune, taking opossums unlawfully out of season. Defendant pleaded guilty. Sergt. King said defendant had gone, out into a State Forest to eiit sleepers and received specific instructions not to take anything out to trap opossums. He had failed to obey these instructions and had been caught redhanded trapping opossums. Defendant stated he had not intended to trap opossums, but the job had not been a good one, and they then decided to apply for a. permit. This was done tile day before he was caught. His Worship convicted defendant aild fiiied him £2 and costs 10s one skin found to be forfeited. CHARGE DEFENDED.

The police charged George TT. Bell, with’ unlawfully taking opossums at Blue Spur, wiio pleaded not guilty. Constable Drummond stated lie saw defendant in the bush and he gave a statement that he had six traps set bn a track hehrby. ' Defendant said lie had intended.to take out. a license and put dbwn a fe vitro ps to SeC if there fretd Iky Sboilt. Convicted and fined £2 and costs 10s.

FAILURE TO REGISTER. The police charged James Gardyne (Air Elcock) with failure to register a motor cvclc. Fined os and ccsts 10s. DEBT CASES. AYm. Jeffries (Afr Elcock) v. Thos. H. Scott claim £59 7s 9d. Judgment fer plaintiff with costs £4 13s 6d. S. J. Preston (Afr Park) v. AV. Wall, claim £23 2s Bd. Judgment fob plaintiff with costs £3 3s 6d. W. Jeffries and Co. (Air Elcock) v. AV. H. Robinson. Judgment summons. Order made for balance due £8 lGs 6d and costs 15s 6d to lie paid forthwith, in default 14, days. N.Z. Law Book Coy (Air Alurdoch) v. R. Wells, judgment summons. Order made for payment of balance due, £2 Is Od forthwith, in default 7 days.