ILLEGALLY ON COURSE

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2717, 5 April 1924, Page 2

ILLEGALLY ON COURSE

TAURANGA PROSECUTION

FINE OF £lO AND COSTS

Tuiiranga. Thursday

In 1 lie Afagistrate’s Court on March (i, John Viokerstaff was proceeded against by the police on the ground that, being a bookmaker’s assistant or agent, he was as such excluded from the racecourse while the same was being used by the Bay of Plenty Jockey Club. After lengthy evidence by detectives to show that the accused was acting as a bookmaker’s- agent, which was vigorously combated by All' L. P. Leary for the defence, the magistrate. Air W. (!. K. Ken rick, reserved his decision. This was given today in a lengthy judgment, in the course of which lie said Mr Leary, lor the defemlaid, argued that the prosecution must prove that there was a particular bookmaker for whoa! the defendant was working, or that he was an agent of a bookmaker's agent, that lie acted knowingly and that lie did more than give information to a bookmaker. The magistrate held that the evidence was insufficient, to convict the defendant of being a bookmaker had he been so charged, and the only quest ion was whether there was sufficient evidence to convict him of being a bookmaker's clerk, agent., or assistant. The magistrate held the evidence to he sufficient to convict the defendant as an assistant •>r clerk of bookmakers, and fined the defendant £l9 and costs. Security for appeal was fixed at the amount of the fine and costs plus £2O.