LOWER HUTT COURT

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10298, 5 June 1919, Page 6

LOWER HUTT COURT

The monthly sitting of the Lower Hutt Court, held yesterday, was presided over by "Mr W. G. Riddell, S.M.

Amy Riggin, a married woman, who admitted a charge, of theft, was convicted and lined £2, in default to be imprisoned for seven days. The defendant explained that she had no idea she was committing theft. The articles, which included a quantity of lcadlights, a fender, and coal-scuttle, were taken from an empty house at Normahdale. ' ".' !.'.,.

For committing breaches of their prohibition orders,. James William Preece, Leonard Kobbs, .and Sydney Saunders were each convicted and lilted £2, with 7s costs, in default to bo detained in prison for seven days. Similar fines woro imposed in the eases of George McPhio and Sydney Saunders, who were found on licensed premises, the former during prohibited hours and the latter during the currency of his prohibition order.

For breaking the borough by-lawn. Joseph Meo, Norman Hughes, Frederick William Neal. and Ray Preston were each fined £l, with 7s costs. The defendants, whilo returning from the Trentham races, had driven their mo-tor-cars on the. wrong side of the road when negotiating tho approach to the Hutt bridge. Constable Holmes said the locality was dangerous, and had it not been for the vigilance of tho police and the borough inspector serious accidents might have taken place there. A Jong string of motor-cars came down from Trentham on May 3rd, and the drivers drove their car's on the wrong side of tho road in order to avoid the sweep to the bridge. There was great danger of accidents with the incoming' traffic from the direction of tho railway station. For driving vehicles at night without lights, James r Gordon O'Donovan was fined £l, with 7s costs; A. Glading, 10s, with 7s costs; and G. W. Graham, ss, with 7s costs; whilo A. Denniston,' A. Haggart, and W. E. Saunders were each fined 12s for failing to have a headlight on their bicycles. CJ. F. W. Anson, Paul Coffey, E. Glennie, B. Gwilliam, and It. Lusty were each fined os, with 7s costs, for failing to attend military parades; J. F. Nyhan, 10s, costs 7s, and It. Shiel (who was described as a C2 man) was ordered to pay 7s .costs. For keeping their children away from school, Albert Baker, - Thomas Collins, F. Gorrie, Emily Ma.wson, and Henry Pilcher were each ordered to pay a fine of os, with costs, 7s. On charges of allowing stock to wandor, E. Bawlinson, x<. B. Twomey, G. W. von Zeitleitz, and B. Williams were each fined os, with costs; P. N. Cameron and J. It. Oroft, 10s, with 7s costs; F. Meyrick, 10s on one charge and 6s on a second; Mrs S. K. Shaw, os, with 14s costs; and C. Cunningham, £l, with costs.

V. J. Fairfax, an employee of tho Petone Borough Council, pleaded not guilty to a charge of cruelly ill-treat-ing a horso. Evidence was given by the police and other witnesses for the /prosecution to tho effect that on May 19th the accused ivas riding a young horse on tho main street at Lower Hutt. When near tho Town Hall the defendant used spurs unnecessarily on the animal, and struck it over the head with a stick. Constable Frost, who laid the information, said ho examined the horse's sides, but did not discover any marks as a result of tho spurs being used. The defence was nand evidence was brought in support) that tho defendant had been instructed to break tho horse in to pass motorcars. Had spurs been used in the manner described by tho prosecution, tho horse would have been considerably cut about, *but no mark was found on tho animal. The stick used was n willow-switch, with which the animal was struck on the neck. In dismissing the information, tho magistrate 6aid tho police did right in laying it, as the defendant had gone close to tho border line of cruelty. I Cecil Wallingford Brown pleaded gnflty to driving at motor-car at night with brillisnt headlights. Mr Hothcnberg. \vh'> appeared for the defendant, said that the alleged effence took place at Taita. There were n'> houaeg in tho

vicinity or traffic on the road at the time. ' it was a dark night, and it was submitted that tho defendant had tho lights on for his own protection. On approaching traffic it was Mr Brown's invariable rule to dun the headlights. The defendant was convicted and fined 10s, with 7s costs. Francis E. Winnie was ordered to pay 7s 6d a week towards the support of his two illegitimate children, together with £4 4s medical expenses. It was shown that the children were born four years ago, since when the defendant had been on active service, and the children were placed in a receiving home. Winuio subsequently married in England and brought a wife and child back with him to NewZealand. Edith Saunders, for whom Mr V. W. Jackson appeared, applied tor a separation order, with maintenance, against her husband, John Sydney Saunders. Tho applicant said her husband was subject to drinking Douts and had lost good positions in consequence. He had a- leasehold farm, from which he received £127 annually in rent. Recently ho had purchased a property in Alicetown, and had between £2OO and £2(50 in the bank. The order sought was with maintenance at the rate of £2 per week, and a charging order was made against the property. The defendant is also to pay £2 2s costs.