SUPREME COURT

Hokitika Guardian, 26 October 1932, Page 6

SUPREME COURT

WELLINGTON.;. CRIMINAL SESSION.; I UTTERING COUNTERFEIT GOINS. ; (Per Press Association — Copyright.) ■ WELLINGTON, October 25. i The criminal session of the Supreme • Court opened today. 'Albert ®%ry O'Malley, unemployed • barman, aged, 59, was fiiß onThe.Pst, ; wiff.i four charges of uttering counter- > feit coins. si I)etectiv e Ritchie gave evidence that l when ha interviewed O'Malley R ■ o’Malay's room, paying -h-3 had reason > to believe O’Malley had counterfeit - half-crowns ih his possession, O’Mal- ; ley replied he had had two which he ■ had passed at -a -couple of shops. • Witness produced and read a ~stßeii ment made after and signed bv 0 j\tali : ley at the detective office, in which s he said he passed the first half-crown i innocently, 'but when he parsed ■ i second he knew it was a “dud.” Th" ’ half-crowns, he said, were given h" m •by a .man who shouted him a drink in the 'lmperial Hotel bar. ■ No evidence was given for the acI cused. ! | -His Honour, Justice McGreg-r, saR ■ Fro question came down to the con- . " siderat'on of whether OAIalFy '. knew j when he passed the coins, they were' pot .genuine. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty on the first.-count, and guilty on three others. O'Malley was remanded for sentence.'.'- ' ' ' : After .the .Grand Jury had returned true bil’s in fifteen cases. presented at ■ The Supreme -Court-, sessions to-day, the Foreman said he - had been reanested to .express appreciation of the splendid way in which the polic e -had worked ‘up their cases and presented them for The Grand -Jury’s consideration, and ‘of the very -excellent work they apipepped to be doing in the matter ol ipublic ... protection. Mu Justice Mc- ; Gpegor said he had no doubt notice' would be'taken of the-'presentment,'and, ‘that it would bo appreciated in the proper quarter. , murder charge thrown out; ' AUCKLAND, October 25. At the Supreme ' Cou'irt ' the grand jury | threw out the charge of murder ; Against Hewer. They returned true ' bills in all of '.'the” .other charges against him.