LICENSING BREACHES.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5159, 1 August 1927, Page 2

LICENSING BREACHES.

MEN BEFORE THE COURT.

VISITING HOTELS AFTER HOURS

At the Magistrate’s Court, Paeroa. this morning, before Mr F. W. Platts, S.M. Joseph Moran, labourer, Paeroa, was charged with being on licensed premises, the Royal Mail Hotel, after hours on’July 18. After the evidence of Constable MeClinchy had been heard defendant was convicted and fined £1 and costs.

Rhodes Wallace, Te Aroha, was similarly charged with being in the Commercial Hotel after hours, as also was Charles Vincent, junr,, Paeroa.

Senior-Sergeant D. A. Maclean said that on July 11 at 10.30 p.m. he had visited the Commercial Hotel. As the result of information he visited a bedroom and found the defendants there with another man. On being questioned Wallace said that he had called to .see the licensee about a horse, and Vincent replied that he had been asked by Walla.cei about a good place to stay and he had taken him there. Both denied that anyone had asked them to go in for a drink. On being questioned, the son of the licensee had replied that the men were particular friends of his and he had asked them in for a drink at his expense. Neither of the dfendants had asked for a bed. Corroborative evidence was given by Constable MeClinchy.

For Vincent Mr E. A. Porritt said that on the night in question defendant had been attending a ball at Paeroa, where in the course of conversation Wallace told Vincent that he wanted to interview Mr Fathers with reference to the purchase of a horse, apd invited Vincent to accompany him. On arrival at the office of the hotel it was found that Mr Fathers was at a meeting. In order to be sure of meeting Mr Fathers Wallace booked a room for the night. The defendants were them taken to an upstairs room. Vincent had not been supplied with a drink, and did not ask for one. Under section 194 of the 1910 Act it could be shown that he was on the premises for a bona fide reason.

Vincent corroborated the remarks of Mr Porritt. He stated that he got a big shock when he saw the police walk into the bedroom, and made a statement to the sergeant of which he was not clear.

Under cross-examination Vincent admitted that he might have said to the police “I brought Wallace in,” and he also remembered Wallace saying that he- did not know the licensee. Rhodes Wallace, the other defendant, stated that he had come from Thames on the day in question, and later on met Vincent at Paeroa. After attending the ball for a while he met Vincent and got him to take him along to the Commercial Hotel for the purpose of seeing the licensee about buying a hunter. He corroborated the evidence given with reference to the conversation in the bedroom. He had asked one of. the staff to keep him a room for the night. He had not had a drink, and did not go there for one.

The magistrate said that neither of the defendants had discharged the onus of being on licensed premises for a lawful purpose. They would be convicted and fined £2 and costs.

Jack Leaf, taxi-driver, Waihi, was charged with, being a person prohibited, he was found on licensed premises, the Commercial Hotel, Paeroa, on July 19. A second charge of being on licensed premises after hours when not a bona fide lodger was also preferred. On the first charge defendant was convicted and fined £2, and on the second charge £1 and costs.

Desmond Fox, labourer Paeroa. was charged with being at the Commercial Hotel on July 11 after hours. Senior-Sergeant Maclean said that when questioned defendant said that he had booked a bed, which was untrue. When his back was turned defendant “bolted for his ilfe.” Defendant said that he went there to pay an. account to Mr Fathers. The magistrate said that defendant liad not established enough proof of being on the premises for a lawful purpose. He would be convicted and fined £2.

The Court is still sitting on other licensing cases.