LICENSING CASES

Hokitika Guardian, 22 July 1932, Page 6

LICENSING CASES

ON PREMISES AFTER HOURS. -SEVERAL ■ HOKITIKA OFFENCES: Breaches of the licensing regulations constituted the greater portion of the | busineks at the Hokitika .Magistrate’s Court this morning. No fewer than fifteen cases of being on licensed premises after hours being heard, while ( eight other charges, arising out of the ( former were also heard. Mr W. Meld- • rum S.M,, was on the bench. | A charge of being -found in the Kokatahi Hotel after hours was pre- ( ferred agaih&t a defendant, who was ordered to pay costs. j Three persons were charged -with be:ing found in the Railway Hotel after hours, there being no appearance of defendants. After evidenc 6 by Con- ( ,stable.E. M. Best, each was ordered to pay costs. . ’| Two men were charged with being found in the Post Office Hotel. One defendant did not appear, the other pleading not - guilty. Evidence was given by Constable Best, the defence being that he had visited the Qiotel to use the convenience wherein he was .found. ’ I , 'Dhe Bench dismissed the charge, ac- . cepting defendant’s statement. The other 1 -defendant was ordered to pay

(posts. . . • _ / -. Charges of being found in th e Oc- , cidetital Hotel after hours were pro- i .■forred against four men, of whom only I one appeared, 'lie pleading guilty. 1 'Evidence was given by Sergeant 1 King, after which the Bench ordered 1 .that each pay costs, two also being 1 g'fined £l. i A. F. Lester was charged that, being f other, than. th e 'licensee,, he did supply < liquor in the Occidental Hotel after : hours j 1 Defendant pleaded guilty and - was i fined £l, and costs 10s. ; ] Joanna Boyd was charged with open- ! ing the Occidental Hoteil after >homs, i with exposing liquor for sale, and . with j selling liquor after hours. ! 1 There was no appearance of defendant. < Sergeant King detailed his visit to the , 1 hotel where- he found the four previous defendants- in the bar. I 1 I Defendant was fined £2 and costs 1 charge of selling liquor, the. re- ■ i 'inaining charges being withdrawn. | 1 : Michael Keenan (Mr J. A. Murdoch), 1 was charged with .opening the Royal i • Mail Hotel for the-' sale of liquor after hours, and with exposing liquor 'M, < -sale.! • ; ... v I ■■Counsel entered a plea-of not gui.ty. ] ; Constable R. Drummond said he vi' .-i pel the hotel, where he found the bar i lighted and? a man m the bar. r lfaa. ] licensee was not present,. and th e man gave his reason for his presence as business with the proprietor. Upon the appearanceof. the licensee, the..latter : ‘'said: he knbwJdtKati thF man .was \ in the ~;’ h^' satisfied explanations given 1 regarding the subject of the business. 1 tij|A.ia.n Chapman gave evidence as to g ■fc}?jp 1 reasons for ihig,_ attendance at the he- had ; firaqsacted, and denied knowledge of twoglasses of liquor on the'bar. The Bench held that no offence had been '..committed ■ the licensee and dismissed-the charge®?- * - ** T , Two men were charged with being ■found in the Pioneer'Hotel after hours. ? (Neither appeared‘ add--- a-fter evidence ■-Joy Sergeant King, the Magistrate 'iprdered 'each to pay costs, one also | ! being fined £2. : -A. E.' Gillman. ivas charged with aid- ' ing and abetting in that he did permit, thb previous defendants to remain on the premises of the Pioneer Hotel after hours. Defendant pleaded not guilty. Constable Best gave evidence, and ■said the entrances to the hotel were locked, but he had been -admitted by the ilioensee and had found the previous defendants rride. >Vitli Sergeant King he, hii’d overheard conversation in the vicinity of the bar. Sergeant King said that the licensee vhud no excuse to -offer for the presence fjpfji the; two men. I | said that two men entered the hotel ancl locked the door after ..them- They did not ask for a drink, -"but!started talking, and a few minutes later Hie police arrived. & | The (Sergeant said that every time he had called at the hotel, the door hr-d been .locked. “The onus is on you, as ...licensee, to turn people out when they comp; to the hotel after hours.’’ Defendant was convicted and fined , ss'- and costs. !■ There was no appearance of two defendants, found in the Post Office Hotel after hours. Each was ordered to .pay costs. I Joseph Hopkins (Mr Murdoch) was i charged with aiding and abetting in | the commission of an offence wherein a ] person was found on the premises of ( the- Post Office-Hotel after hours. 1 ( j Counsel pleaded guilty, and defend- t ant was fined 5s and costs. ( ] J