CHARGE DISMISSED

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 155, 23 February 1932, Page 6

CHARGE DISMISSED

ALLEGED THEFT OF MOTOR CAR REGISTRATION PLATE FINE FOR WRONGFUL USE Charged with wrongfully using f demonstration number plate, and with the theft of the plate, a Rotorua motor mechanic made his appear ance before Mr. S. L. Paterson, S.M. in the Rotorua Magistrate's Court yesterday morning. After hearing al the facts of the case the magistratf dismissed the charge of theft anc suppressed the a^ccused's name. Constable Shilton said that on January 25 he had noticed the accused driving a car in Tutanekai Stieet and had questioned him about a demonstration number plate which wa? affixed to the car. The accused had said that he had obtained the plate at Te Puke and that it had been given to him by a man whom he db not know. He had admitted that he had used it to hoodwink the authorities. The plate had been issued to a garage prorvrietor in Tauranga who had stated that, this plate, togethe^ with its duplicate, had disappeared from hi? garage some time before. The duplicate of the plate had not been recovered. In reply to Mr. W. A. Carter, who a-oneared for the accused. the constable said that the accused had toJd him that he had gone to Te Puke ir order to try and locate the man who had given him the plate. He wa." aware also that the borough traffio inspector had seen the plate on aceused's car about Cnristmas time,_ and that the Tauranga garage proprietor had stated that the plate had not disappeared from his garage until January 10. He realised that the dates did not eoincide. The charge of theft was dismissed. and on the ; charge of wrongfully using the plate, the accused was fined £1 with 10/- costs. An order was made for the suppression of his name.