FLYING “HALF-HANDLES”

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 565, 18 January 1929, Page 1

FLYING “HALF-HANDLES”

ENRAGED DRINKER BREAKS MIRROR JUST MISSES BARMAN Not seven years’, but eight j weeks’ bad luck attended the j breaking of a large mirror by John i Fitzgerald last evening. Fitzgerald threw a heavy mug, known as a half-handle, at an hotel barman, but hit the mirror instead. Fitzgerald, a labourer aged 29, pleaded guilty at the Police Court this morning to wilfully damaging a mirror valued at £7 10s, and a glass mug valued at 2s. He also admitted assaulting Michael heydon. “A few days ago Fitzgerald was j mixed up in an affair in a city hotel,” j said Sub-Inspector McCarthy. “Yesterday he went into the same hotel j while under the influence of liquor. The barman refused to serve him and reminded him of the former incident, i Fitzgerald caught up a heavy glass mug (produced), called a half-handle, threw it at the barman, first reaching out and trying to hit him. The : mug missed the barman, splintering j a big mirror behind him. The sub-inspector thought it better that the mug should have gone through ! the mrr.or than through the barman's j head. “Fighting and assault is Fitz- j gerald’s specialty,” concluded Mr. Me-j Carthy. "He has 29 previous convic- i tions.”

| Fitzgerald was sentenced to 14 days’ | imprisonment on the first charge, and j six weeks for the assault.