LICENSING CASES

Hokitika Guardian, 17 November 1933, Page 6

LICENSING CASES

CHARGES HEARD AT HOKITIKA

Much of the time of the Magistrate’s Court at Hokitika this ,morning was taken up with the hearing of cases relative to breaches of the Licensing Act. Mr W. Meldrum ,S.M., presided. Charged with being found on the premises of the Occidental Hotel after hours, two defendants, who not appear were ordered to pay costs. Constable P. D. Dougherty said that they had been invited in by a lodger, to have a drink. John Cutbush was charged that lie did assist, counsel and procure the commission of an offence, to wit, that of one of the defendants being found on the premises oT the Occidental Hotel. Defendant was ordered to pay costs. A charge was preferred against a man of being in the Woodstock Hotel, on a Sunday afternoon. Constable Drummond said lie visited the Hotel, and on entering the prem-. is.es h e saw defendant trying to get through a window. Defendant had stated he had had dinner there. Air Alurdoch: Did defendant not say he had spent the previous night .at the hotel?—No. Counsel said' that defendant had stayed at the hotel on different occasions. On this particular day -he was a hone fide guest, haying spent the previous night there, and having liis meals there on the Sunday. Defendant confirmed counsel’s defence, and said he frequently went to the hotel to stay when his people were away from home. He denied he was found trying to escape through a window.

Michael Keenan, licensee of the .hotel, gave corroborative evidence. The Alagistrate dismissed the case. . Three men were charged with being found on the .premises of the Dunedin Hotel after hours. One defendant appeared and pleaded not guilty. Air Sellers appeared for a second defendant pleading not guilty. The third did not appear.

Wm. Hall was charged with selling liquor, and with opening his premises for the sale of liquor after hours. Constable Randall said he found the three men with glasses nearby. Trie licensee had a tray in his hand arid had apparently just served the drinks. Two of the men were unsatisfactory in their excuses, the third saying he intended

staying. Mr Sellers said that his client was a boarder during the as was occasionally the case. Constable Randall: I think he is like a lot of others round here. He is a boarder whenever he happens to get caught. Constable Dougherty said the licensee told him next morning’that two of the men had stayed overnight. Mr Sellers’ client said he .had been a guest for the whole week-end, while the other who appeared, had been a guest for the, day. 4 The defendant licensee, Hall, said that the drinks the’constable had seen were paid for by the boarder charged. The charge against the boarder.,was dismissed, - the other two found on the premises,-being ordered to pay costs. The charges against the licensee were also dismissed. ' ‘ ...

Four men were charged with being found on the premises of the Bed Lion Hotel after hours on November 2. George Tomlinson was charged that he did assist, counsel and procure t>e commission of an offence, to wit that of one of the defendants being found on the Bed Lion premises, l Constable Randall said that at 12.40 a.m. he visited the hotel, where he found defendants in the bar parlour, while* Tomlinson was in the bar. One of them stated that they had been returning chairs and other equipment .from the show "Betty,” which hr.d been borrowed from the hotel. On being asked their reason for their presence, one said they had been invited, to have a drink. He advised them that the licensee was the only one . who could invite them. One of them said that it : might have been a cup of coffee that they were Hi ere for. To Mr Murdoch: He denied having conversation with ,(iny of the defend-, ants outside of the hotel, and he swore that the mention of s «PPer had not been made outside. Counsel characterised it as one °t

the weakest eases yet brought ( into court. The show "Betty” wa s presented in aid of local charities. Some of the necessary scenery had been borrowed from the Red Lion Hotel, and it had to be returned to the hotel before the next morning. They were working there for two hours after the show finished. Other pieces of scenery were loaded on to a railway truck on the wharf alongsidOj and in doing so they had noticed the constable outside. They had concluded their work, and gone to partake of supper at the invitation of the house. "If these men are to give their services for local charities and work late into the night, surely they should be allowed to stay and have supper,” added counsel. One of the defendants denied that the excuse for being there .'was }to "have a drink,” a.s claimed bv the constable, the words used being "to have something.” There was no suggestion of drink. It had not, been offered, it had not been asked for. and the constable, when jn the parlour, had said he "had nothing on the bar.” They had been invited to have supper and bad been shown into the bar parlour. The Magistrate said there was no need to eall any further evidence for defendants. There ' was no suggestion of drinking, nor did defendants abuse their right to he on the premises. Tile cases would be dismissed. Two men were charged with being found on the premises of the Railway ‘Hotel after hours., and pleaded not guilty.