Magistrate’s Court

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 306, 28 December 1939, Page 9

Magistrate’s Court

GAOL FOR THEFT OF COAT A sentence of one month’s gaol was imposed on Joseph Vance Viscoe, aged 46, a labourer, by Messrs A. J. Graham and J. H. Stevens, J.P’s., in the Palmerston North Magistrate’s Court yesterday, for the theft of an overcoat valued at £2. Detective-Sergeant A. B. Meiklejohn said that he saw the accused, who showed signs of drinking, carrying the coat partly hidden below another on his arm. The explanation given was that it had been purchased for 5s from a person who had said that he was hard up. He did not know the name of this person. Accused had left the King Country with £2O before Christmas and when taken into custody had only os 9d. Accused repeated his story of how he came by the coat and strenuously denied that he had taken it from anybody. Most of his money had been given away to other people who had befriended him. He was due to recommence work on January 3 and would leavo for the bush immediately if allowed to go free. After perusing a list of previous convictions, the Bench imposed sentence as stated. A charge of being intoxicated while in charge of a motor-car in Racecourse Road on Tuesday was preferred against a young man whose name was suppressed. His counsel, Mr. A. W. Yortt, consented to a remand until January 15, bail being allowed in the sum of £25.