CHARGED WITH BEGGING

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 5000, 14 July 1926, Page 2

CHARGED WITH BEGGING

OLD OFFENDER VISITS PAEROA.

IMPRISONMENT ORDERED.

At the Police Court, Paeroa, this morning, before Messrs W. Marshall and B. Gwilliam, J’s.P., a young man named Roy Victor Bloomfield,, ajias George Bloomfield, was charged with being a rogue and a vagabond within the meaning of the Puhce Offences Act, in that he was soliciting alms in Normanby Road, Paeroa, yesterday afternoon. Accused pleaded guilty and elected to be dealt with summar-

ily. Constable J* McClinchy stated that accused, who had .two previous convictions for 1 a similar offence, had come from Te Aroha- Yesterday afternoon he accosted a Public Works official named Gunn, outside the post office and asked him for some money to buy food. Witness said he was, standing on the steps of the post. office at the time, and heard Mr Gunn say. that the constable would attend to accused. Witness then received a complaint from Mr Gunn, and accused was taken into custody. Accused had evidently had drink, but was not drunk. Constable McClinchy pointed out that a number of men were coming into the town, penniless, and it was not (air to the. public or to the State that they should be allowed to roam about unchecked. In reply to the Bench accused pleaded for a chance. He said that he was a single’ man and had been out of work for about a month. He wa,s a returned soldier, and had been wounded twice and also gassed at the war. When he -took drink it affected him strangely, and he ha.d no 'recollection of what he had done. He had been working for the Matamata County Council, and had also head tra,mway man on the Pokeno deviation. He had work to go to at Thames, and if given chance he would get out of the town and work steadily without . giving further trouble.

Mr Marshall said that accused’s chief trouble seemejd to be. his begging propensities when out of work. A young man should be able to earn enough to keep himself out of trouble. Accused would be convicted and sentenced to 14 days’ hard labour a,t Thames Gaol. / In answer to Mr Gwilliajn' accused said that if he took out a prohibition order it would probably result' in getting his friends into trouble as well as himself. A FIRST OFFENDER. A middle-aged man, a'first offender, Was convicted and fined 10s for drunkenness in Normanby Road last night. At the. request of the police 24 hours were allowed in which to pay the fine.