COURT NEWS

Opotiki News, Volume I, Issue 48, 24 June 1938, Page 2

COURT NEWS

MOTORIST CHARGED STATE OF INTOXICATION/ j FINED AND LICENSE C ANCEL LED - , . ■ V At the Opotiki Police Court to-day before Messrs J. D. Clark and C. Pipe, d.P’s., a Nukuhou North farmer, Arthur Donnelly', was charged with being jn 'charge of a motor vehicle while in a state of intoxication. Sergeant J .Isbister, who prosecuted, said that defendant was seen by the traffic inspector in Main. Street in a lorry, in an intoxicated condition. The inspector informed him and he saw the defendant and there was no doubt about his condition. Defendant said lie had seven drinks but he was not too clear about it. Dr. A. J - Brass had certified defendant as being intoxicated. The defendant had never prevoiusly been before the court. ■ The bench said: there was no excuse for motorists committing the offence, as. magistrate’s and the traffic department --had issued special warnings. In reply to the bench defendant said he was milking cows.

Defendant was convicted and fined £lO, and his license cancelled for 12 months.

CHARGE OF SHEEP-STEALING

PLEA OF GUILTY At the Opotiki Police Court this morning, Edward Kelly was charged that on the 2.lst. June he did steal a sheep the property of the Native Department. Defendant pleaded guilty. Sergeant J. Isbister prosecuted and said that for a considerable time sbe< p had been missed from tlie Opotiki saieyards. Drovers would find that on the following morning after putting sheep in the saieyards that one or two sheep would be missing. On the 20th a drover who was driving a large mob of sheep to ltotorua left aboct '4O sheep which were suffering from sore feet in the saieyards to he picked up by motor lorry the following morning. Mr M. Carroll of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile instructed Mr G. Leggett to take the sheep to a paddock. One sheep, which was blind, was put in Mr Anderson’s naddock, opposite the yards. When Mr Leggett looked tor the sheep in Mr Anderson’s paddock, lie found it- was missing and he made a search for it. The matter was reported to the police and he (the sergeant) accompanied by Constable Cooper made inquiries. They found the defendant had killed a sheep on the previous day. .He asked defendant where he had got the sheep and Kelly had replied that it was his own. Defendant was then asked to show the police the skin and carcase. Defendant went to a shed where the sheep had been killed but be said he coui'L not find it. Defendant was then taken to the police station and interrogated. He then admitted that he stole the sheep from Mr Anderson’s paddock.

The sergeant said , the offence was looked 0 n as a serious one. He suggested the penalty be sufficient- to deter the dishonest people living around the saleyards.

When asked by the bench if lie had anything to say, defendant said the sheep Avas a blind one and lie Avas. pleased to kill it. The sheep went to the dogs.

The bench said that no matter Avliat the condition of the sheep Avas, defendant had no right- to take it. They Avere continually hearing complaintsfrom the drovers. Defendant would hoconvicted and fined £lO, in default: one month in gaol. A FURTHER CHARGE Arising out of the above ease, another man. Hilton Crosswalk Avas also chargqd with stealing a sheep, the property of the Native Department. Defendant said lie AvonJdrAdead guilty to killing the sheep oi|i y.A Sergeant Isbister said uiat defencfant had been employed by Kelly to kill the sheep. Defendant had said he had killed 30 sheep for Kelly previously. When questioned Kelly had informed the police that he had bought the sheep from Messrs Da I—getv and do. Inquiries sliOAved that 'Kelly had only bought, six sheep from Dalgetv’s and these had been taken to Alr.J. Kelly’s place and four still remained. That only left two sheep Avliich had been killed. Kelly in a. statement said that Crosswell had

gone to his place on the morning of the ‘2lst. and he asked Crosswell to kill the sheep. In reply to the bench defendant said Kelly did not tell him he got- the sheer, from Anderson’s paddock. He admitted he hadAbeeu killing slmcp tor KeHy. The bench said they could not believe defendant’s story that he did not know where the sheep had come from. He most have known where the sheep came from. Defendant was convicted and fined £lO. in default one month’s imprisonment.