POSED AS DETECTIVE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5147, 4 July 1927, Page 3

POSED AS DETECTIVE.

MAN DISTURBS CHiINESB. A SUNDAY CELEBRATION. Tn the early hours of the morning Hop Lee, a Chinese living in Madras Street, Christchurch, was disturbed by a man who jumped boldly over his fence and said, when, accosted by Lee, that he was a “d.” Hop Lee, and his friends sent for the police, and the man, James Joseph Thompson, appeared before Mr. E. D. Mosley, S.M., in the Police Court on charges of being on Hop Lee’s premises without lawful excuse and with pretending to be a detective;

-Thompson, for whom Mr W. J. Hunter appeared, pleaded not guilty. At 1 a..m, Constable I. Garpon was summoned by Hop Lee, and found Thompson standing in the kitchen, with several Chinese standing round him. Accused said that he climbed the fence at the back of the premises and walked into the kitchen. Hop Lee told the constable that, accused said he was a “di” meaning a detective. In a statement accused said that when he got over the fence a Chinese came out, and asked what he was doing/ He replied, “I’m a “d,” and was going to walk out at the front door when the constable arrived and arrested him. He told the constable that he had been having a celebration with some footballers on Sunday at the Heathcote Arms Hotel, and some of them had spent about 7s each on drinks. v

Mr Hunter said that Thompson was a decent young man. He had taken part in a football club celebration on -Sunday . The Magistrate : On Sunday ? Mr Hunter: Yes. They had a considerable amount of beer, and on the way home accused got over the fence. When accosted by the Chinese he foolishly said he was a “d.” Counsel was not sure that that came within the wording of the Statute, “assuming the designation of a member of the Police Force.’’ “D” might mean anything, and, in any case, the statement was not meant seriously. His entering the premises was a necessity, and counsel thought thtjt accused had a lawful excuse.

■ The magistrate did not agree that

it was a lawful excuse, but dismissed

that charge under section 92 of the of the Peace Act. For pretending to be a detective Thompson was fined 20s and costs.