LONG RECORD SPOILED

Marlborough Express, Volume LXXV, Issue 254, 28 October 1942, Page 2

LONG RECORD SPOILED

FIRST CONVICTIQN IN'64 YEARS. COUNTRY LICENSEE FINED. Her first conviction during the period of 64 years in which she has held the licence of the Northbank Aceommodation House was imposed on Mary Jane Green by Mr T. E. Maunsell, S.M., this morning in connection with a charge of selling liquor at a time when the premises were required to be closed. A daughter, Mabel Green, was charged with selling liquor during closing hours, and in each case a fine of £10, with 12s costs, was imposed. Sergeant P. Alsop told the Court that in company with Constable Wilson he visited the aceommodation house at 3.50 o'clock on the afternoon of Sunday, October 18. The front door and the door of the bar were open, and four airmen were found consuming liquor. The daughter of the licensee was in the bar dispensing drinks. The licensee, who was in the kitchen, admitted that liquor was ' being- sold. "I might say that we have had complaints about the conduct of this house — liquor has bes-n sold apparently openly on Sundays. It is a little difiicult to supervise, being 12 miles out, and we depend on such licensees to comply v^ith the law," added Sergeant Alsop. "She has not previously been convicted — and I think she has been very lucky," he remarked. Mr Maunsell : She is a very old licensee. Mr F. Noble-Adams, who entered a plea of guilty on both charges, said it was admitted that four men were in the bar, and there were eertainly others who were out in the garden, and who had come round for tea. On Sundays, he explained, members oi the Air Force found it a nice walk to the aceommodation house for afternoon tea or tea. On this occasion four of the men had asked for drinks, and they were served. Mrs Green had held the licence for approximately 64 years, and had never been convicted before. She was a very old lady, and her daughter usually looked after the bar for her. The place, he elaimed, had been run very well, and if there had been any complaints he thought the poliee would have paid more visits, and would have caught her before. The front door had been left open when the daughter had carried an empty case out on to the verandah. Mr Maunsell said he would not inciease the fine beyond the minimum of £10, although he recalled that in a previous case where a hotel had not been under the eye of the police, so to speak, he had done so. COSTLY INTRODU CTION. Thomas Long, who had been found on the premises, was fined £2 with 10s costs. Sergeant Alsop stated that when interviewing Mrs Green in the sitting room the defendant Long had come in and thrown half-a-crown on to the table, demanding to be supplied with a bottle of beer. When told that he could not be supplied Long had remarked: "It is quite all right — I am going over the bridge and won't be hanging round the place." At this stage the police had introduced themselves to him. — — — V-