MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Shannon News, 23 April 1926, Page 3

MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

j ALLEGED SALE Of) SHEEP. I The hearing was commenced in the Magistrate’s Court at Palmerston N. I on Tuesday afternoon, before Mr JL. Stout, S.M., of a civil action wherein the MangahaO’ Butchery Company proceeded against 3. T. Bovis, of Shannon, claiming' £l6 18s sd, the value of 13 ewes allegedly supplied to defendant by the plaintiff company in 1922.. Mr Laurens on appeared for the .company, defendant conducting his own case. The claim was based on an allegation when, in 1922, the plaintiff company purchased a butchery business from defendant, it was arranged that the latter should carry on for a further month and to facilitate matters he was allegedly supplied with the sheep in question and. which had not been paid for. W. S. Carter, managing director of the Mangaha.o Butchery Company, stated, in evidence that in 1922. he bought from Bovis on behalf of the company a butchery business. Bovis was to carry on for another month after the purchase, taking his sheep at cost price from witness’s company. Bovis had purchased, 13 sheep on this plan but had not paid for them. Questioning witness, defendant said that he had received no accounts for sheep supplied until some two years after the sale of his business, whereupon witness declared that accounts had been sent in regularly.

Defendant produced the agreement, for the disposal .of liis business to the plaintiff company.. Witness declared. that he had supplied defendant with stock for a month after The business was taken over, because Bovis did not have the finance to carry on otherwise. This, defendant emphatically denied. W. C. Harrington, secretary to the plaintiff company, produced records of the supply of some sheep- to defendant, Who, he said, had not yet paid for them. Accounts for the sheep had been sent regularly to ,Bovis, Defendant, rising to examine the witness, said that, he had received no account until some time in 1925. Defendant, giving evidence, denied that at any time he had any sheep dealings with the plaintiff company. Mr Laurenson: Do you deny-buy-ing mutton or beef from the company of Mr Carter?—l do. You keep books?—Yes. None of them lias any entry in this regard?—No. The books might have disappeared? '—Well, I have been out of business for a long time. The claim,' counsel considered, was clearly proved.The case was adjourned to enable the production of the plaintiff company’s clerk who had made the book entry relating to the alleged supply of sheep to defendant.