LEVIN MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Shannon News, 24 July 1925, Page 3

LEVIN MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

DISCHARGE i>F FIREARMS. There was a long list vl cases at to-day's sitting of the Court, when Messrs P. W. Goldsmith and T. Brown, j.'sP., occupied the Bench. The first case was tiiat of Hector McDonald, charged with the use of bad language and the discharge oi firearms without lawful and sufficient purpose on June 29th last. A plea of guilty to both charges was entered. Constable Bagrie stated that on the date mentioned defendant entered a fish shop owned by a Greek in Levin at about 3.30 p.m. and created a disturbance iii the shop, using- the lan- \ guage complained of. Later in the I day, about 5.15 p.m., he again entered the shop and discharged a dou-ble-barrelled gun, the shot penetrating the roof. There was no provocation for either of the disturbances, except that the proprietor asked him to leave the premises in the first instance. Constable Bagrie suggested that defendant had returned with the gun in order to frighten the Greeks. Under the Arms Act of 1920, the penalty for the last mentioned offence was a fine of £IOO or three months' imprisonment.

Mr Adams, who appeared far defendant, said that the day in question was a very wet one, and defendant had too much to drink, as a consequence of which he had no recollection of his using bad language. As regarding the firearms, he was in lawful possession of the gun, having brought it from the beach for the purpose of having it repaired. On ids way he had called at the fish shop in order to make peace with the proprietor, and while there the .gun was accidentally discharged. P The Bench: But he took the weapons of war with him. Continuing, Mr Adams asked that the matter be dealt with on the basis of a fine. He suggested that the bad language had not been used in a public place as a mitigation of that charge.

Constable Bagrie said the shop was a public place within the meaning of the Act, but perhaps it was not so serious as if it had been used on the footpath. Fines of £5 and 7s costs on the charge of discharging firearms, and £lO, with 19s costs, on ' the other charge were imposed, defendant being allowed until September 30th in which to pay. CIVIL CASES. The following cases were heard and penalties imposed as stated: Skipper Royal, for driving a car without lights, 10s, costs 12s; David Laing, for failure to attend camps under the Defence Act, 20s, costs and witness's fee £1 16s 8d; Thomas Watchman, for driving a car at a dangerous speed over the intersection of Queen and Bristol Streets, fined 10s, costs 7s. A considerable number of charges of allowing stock to wander on the roads at Shannon came before the Court, and Mr Moody ffor the Borough Council) asked that the maximum penalties bo imposed as the matter had become a very serious one. Fines 'were inflicted in tli«' undermentioned instances: Roland Haves, 30s. costs 7s: Robert Buckman 30s, costs 14s: Arthur Richards. 40s. 'costs 14s; J. C. Retter, 7s 6<l. costs 7s: Ma.v A<?nes Coakley, fined 30s costs 7s: Clifford O'Reean. 7s 6d. 7s- W. H, Christian. 7s 6d, costs ?««■ Curvan a*ul W-iort, 10s, costs 7s; R. Pratt Is, costs 7s.