MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Shannon News, 21 December 1928, Page 3

MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

LEVIN SITTING. The monthly sitting of the Magistrate’s Court in Levin was held or. Thursday before Mr J. L. Stout, S.M. THEFT OF A HAT. Tura Foutama, who was absent, but on whose behalf Mr Iv. E. Adams entered a plea of guilty, was charged that, at Foxton on October 22ud, he stole a hat valued at 37s fid, the property of John MeLaughlan. Constable Bagrie stated that the hat was taken at a dance, a cap being left in its place. Later the accused was recognised wearing the hat; lie was questioned by the Constable, and admitted having taken the hat. Hitherto Tama Ira cl borne a good character; but losses of personal property at dances were becoming so prevalent that the Constable thought a' fairly substantial penalty should bo inflicted. There were' very few dances at which, there was not a hat or -a coat missing.

Mr Adams said that .Constable Bagrie had been very fair in his statement. On behalf of the defendant, counsel could only say that he was a young Maori, laged about 20; that he lost his father about two years ago, and that his mother, with his assistance was carrying on a dairy farm; she was a very fine type of Native and was much upset over this happening. The act had been more in the nature of a prank than anything else, but the defendant now realised the consequences of it, and was not likely to come again before the Court; he had not been in trouble before. Counsel applied for the suppression of the defendant’s name,-at- the instance of his mother.

’The Magistrate remarked that this was a case for a fine, and in those circumstances he did not think that he could suppress the name. It was just as well to let other youths know that this sort of thing had to be stopped; it was mart of the punishment that the defendant’s name should appear. A fine of £5, with costs 10s, was imposed, and the defendant was allowed a month in which to pay. An order was made for the return of the hat to the, owner. CUTTING THE CORNER. Cases, of failing to keep to the proper side when turning a corner were brought' by the Borough Inspector ag'ainst two motor-car drivers and a motor cyclist. The first case was against R. Sedgefield, the time and place of the occurrence being November 22nd, at the corner of Oxford and Queen Streets.

Inspector Guinan stated that the offender, at 5.40 pan., drove a ear along ‘Oxford Street and turned the corner at an excessive speed, 20 feet on the wrong side, and did not sound the horn.

The penalty imposed was £l, with costs 10s.

Daniel L. Hartwell was charged with a similar breach of the regulations, committed on November 17tli, at the same corner.

The Inspector gave evidence that at 9 pan. on a .Saturday, when there was a fair amount of traffic about, 1 lie defendant drove round the corner at 20 to 25 feet, from the centre-line' of the road, and made no attempt to sound his horn.

A fine of £1 was imposed, with 10s costs.

The next change of cutting the corner was against the rider of a motor cycle, Harold Terry, with reference to his riding from Bath Street into Oxford Street, on November 28th. He was also charged that on the same date he rode a motor-cycle not equipped with a sufficient silencer. The defendant, who pleaded gulity, to each charge, explained that the machine was a new one and that he had not altered it; the Inspector had not warned him about the motor being noisv. SILENCERS MUST BE EFFICIENT. In imposing fines for 10s for cutting the cornel' and £2 for not having a proper silencer, with costs 10s, oij each charge, His Worship said that other motor-cyclists had been before the Court recently for having ridden noisy machines, and those cases should have served as sufficient warning. He did not rare whether a. machine was new or not —they were not to be • ridden unless equipped with proper silencers. A month was allowed the defendant to nav the penalties. i WANDERING COWS OF SHANNON. Prosecutions against two owners or straying cows were made by the Shannon borough ranger, (Mr J. Swindlehurst. The defcudajnts did not upbear.

B. IT. Pratt was charged with having allowed n cow to wander in Sheehan Street., October 23rd. The Ranger stated that the cow in question had been on the street almost every day, the defendant no! providing any paddock for it. Tlie offender was fined £l, with eosts 10s.

Two charges were preferred against E. Davis, —’noth relating to two cows and a calf in Sheehan Street, the first occasion bring September 18th and the second October 23rd.

The Ranger stated that on September 18th he impounded the animals. The case was similar to the preceding one, and the defendant was an old offender.

On the first charge a fine of 10s-and on the second a fine of £1 were imposed, with costs 10s in each case.

UNDEFENDED CIVIL CASES

Judgment was given for the plaintiffs, for the amounts named, in the following .undefended cases: —Commissioner of Taxes v. Charles Hutton, costs 8s; J. 0. Moodie v. W. Campbell, £sl 15s 4d, costs £2 2s; Lamb and Hearlc v. D. Bell, £25 10s 7d, costs £4 6s 6d; 11. Vallance v. L. Randell, 9s 9d costs 12s; L. Moffatt v. Lloyd Randell, £6 7s 4d, costs 19s; Abraham and Williams, Ltd., v. J. Mihaka, £3 19s 6d, costs £1 12s Gd-; same v. R. Piper, £9 os 3d, costs £1 Us 6d; same v. D. Patuaka, £2 Us, costs £1

1,2 s 0(1,• same v. & Royal, £2 18s, costs £1 12s Gd; same v. J. Hurunui, £32 7s, costs £4 10s Gd; Weraroa Stores, Ltd., v. J. Mudgway, £6 3s 7d, costs £1 12s Gd; P. H." Harper v..T. Gillespie, £l6 2s, costs £2 14s; W. B. Macintosh and son v. James V. M.idgway, £22 ISs, costs £4 Is sd. JUDGMENT SUMMONSES.

Orders were made on judgment sunv mouses as follows: —

H. O’Donnell to pay Abraham and Williams, Ltd., £2B 12s 9d at the rate of £4 per month; in default 28 days. Titi Broughton to pay Thomas Rorison Hall £24 9s 6d at the rate of £1 10s per month; in default 21 days.