LABOURER IN TROUBLE.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5194, 21 October 1927, Page 2

LABOURER IN TROUBLE.

DRUNKENNESS AND LANGUAGE.

FINE OR IMPRISONMENT. 1 A middle-aged labourer named Patrick James Moran was charged, at the local Police Court this morning, before Messrs W. F. Johnstone and W. F. North, J’».P., with drunkenness in Belmont Road last evening, and with using obscene language. A third charge, that of damaging a motorcar to an extent of £l. was also preferred; Accused pleaded guilty to the chargee of drunkenness and damaging the. car, but not, guilty to using obscene language.

Constable J. Dawson gave evidence that in company with Constable McClinchy he had found accused sitting on the kerbside in Belmont Road last evening in a. drunken condition. An arrest was effected and accused taken as far as Hall Street, where a car was obtained, and they had accused driven to the lock-up. While proceeding along Willoughby Street accused made use of the filthy language complained of at the top of his voice. On arrival at the police station he refused to get out of the car and became violent, during which the sidecurtains of the car were* darriaged. Corroborative evidence was given by Constable J. McClinchy, who stated that accused had been handled quietly and had no provocation to have acted as he had. Although warned several times to be quiet, he continued to use obscene language after he was placed in the lock-up, and his voice could be heard for a considerable distance.

In answer to the- Bench accused said that he was very drunk, and was sorry for this behaviour. On the first charge accused was convicted and fined 3s car hire. On the obscene language charge he was convicted and fined £5 and 1 costs 10s, in default 14 days’ imprisonment in Thames, Gaol. On the third charge he was convicted and ordered to pay £l. the amount of the damage committed to the car.

An application for time to find the money was refused when Constable McClinchy stated that accused was a bird of passage, and the State would probably be put to expense in collecting the money.