MIGHT HAVE HELPED THE ENEMY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 28 August 1942, Page 2

MIGHT HAVE HELPED THE ENEMY

ANOTHER BREACH OF THE REGULATIONS A case involving a breach oi' the Jensorship and Publicity Emergency Regulations was heard before Mr T. E. Maunsell, S.M., at the Magistrate’s Court to-day when Harold Brian Rodgers, a soldier, was charged with having placed on record by way of writing, information which would or might be directly or indirectly of use to the enemy. A fine of £5, costs 10s. was imposed. Detective-Sergeant F. Hayhurst said that in spite of previous prosecutions and the publicity given to such cases, breaches of the regulations were still occurring. In handing to the Magistrate the extract of the letter on which the case was based the Detective-Ser-geant said that the man was of good character and had written the letter during an illness when he might not have given his usual consideration to the possibility of giving information to the enemy. Defendant, who pleaded guilty, said he earned 7s per day. Detective-Sergeant Hayhurst said that the breaches of the regulations had to be stopped somehow and he asked that the amount of the penalty imposed in recent cases of a similar nature be maintained in this case. His Worship said that in view of the representations made he would fine the defendant £5 .