FINED £20 FOR BOOKMAKING.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 2661, 20 November 1923, Page 3

FINED £2O FOR BOOKMAKING.

HAMILTON YOUTH CONVICTED. Harold Flutey frankly admitted in the Magistrate’s Court, Hamilton, that he had acted as a bookmaker, in that he conducted a double chart. Tn a statement to the police, defendant, who is a youth 20 years of age, gave a detailed account of his transactions. He had made a practice of taking shilling bets, one shilling to £3. He had been ‘struck’ twice and had been unable to pay his obligations. Mr King, for defendant, said it was evident- bis client did not realise the seriousness of the offence. The Magistrate: What made you tell the police everything? Defendant: They seemed to know more about it. than I did so I thought it best, to tell them everything. Defendant said he was induced io lake up gaming by a fellow employee in the box factory at Frankton. Most of the employees betted with him. Mr King observed that if it had not been for defendant’s candour, the police would have bad difficulty to prove their case. Had the man who had operated with Flutey come forward as a witness, he would have been liable to a fine of £IOO, which was not an incentive for such a man to come forward. The Senior-Sergeant: He could have been indemnified. The Magistrate informed defendant that be was liable to a fine of £SOO or two years’ imprisonment. A fine of £2O and costs was imposed.