MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Hokitika Guardian, 23 September 1932, Page 4

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

CHARGES HEARD AT HOKITIKA. Charges of ,being on licensed premises after hours comprised the majority of cases heard in the Hokitika Magistrate’s Court this morning, before Mr W. iSl.'M. On Licensed Premises. <, • ' -V, • Five men were charged with being on the premises of the Railway Hotel, only one appearing in Court. The evidenc e said that three had no excuse to offer. The defendant who appealed, was discharged, the others being ordered’ to pay costs . Three men found in the Post Office wer& ordered to pay. costs, one being fined' £2. 1 charges of theft. . A charge of stealing a portable forge blower, a steel pinch bar, 50lb of, axle grease, of a total value of £4 15s, the property of J. C. Mglfroy and Co., was preferred against Charles John de la Cour and Robert Duncan., Defendants pleaded nO,t, guilty and elected to be dealt vyith summarily. Sergeant King said that Malfroy and Co. had a sawmill 17 or 18 miles from here on the Christchurch, road. , The mill was closed down, and the eqn'pmeat was- left, part of it in the huts, and part on the premises,. Later ha received a complaint that the article® in question were, mi*smg, and that, they wer© to be found elsewhere, they being identified, Defendant* who were* working on a claim at G'Hl&m's Gully* admitted taking , the articles, thinking; that, t* the mill was closed, the, articles had been abandoned, and wouhl b 6 useful to them. . Charles Henry Guthrie, manager, of MaU'roy and Co., identified the articled, produced in Court. He said that ,no authority had been given for their 'removal, but that they had not suffered depreciation.

De la Caur said that to all appearances the mill appeared to have' been abandoned. After removing the articles he thought 'he should mak e some explanation to the proprietors, and after making inquiries, called in to see M r Guthrife who was away. ) Duncan’s evidence was on similar lines. ’ Each was fined £1 and ordered to refi/rn the articles. • Percy Thomas Timmins wag charged with the tbeft of a, bicycle, the property of John Shannon, valued at £5. Accused pleaded not guilty andl elected to be dealt with summarily. John Shannon, farmer of Kotterangf, said accused had been stopping with him for about a month at a prospecting camp. He had borrowed witness’ bicycle, but had not -returned it, as arranged. Accused said that Shannon owed him wages, and he had beep unable to , secure them eo had sold the bicycle, for i£l, . Accused was convicted--' and ordered; to re-buy the cycle for £l and return! it to its owner.

UNEMPLOYMENT LEVY DEFAULT, Six charges of- fail ,'r e to pay th& unemployment levy were preferred against J. P. Coulson by Mr F. G, Davies, Inspector of Factories. Defendant was represented by Mr A. IR. Elcock who asked for an adjournment, it being granted. MAINTENANCE ORDER BREACH. .R,, Durham was charged with, breach of his maintenance order in: respect of his wife. During the last three months, defendant said he had earned practically

nothing. The Bench' adjourned the case