LICENSING ACT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 129, 18 October 1912, Page 7

LICENSING ACT.

BREACHES ADMITTED. KING COUNTRY CASES. ; Two King Country licensing cases were heard in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, when two defendants were; arraign-, ed. A. J. Morton, of Awakino,: a blacksmith, was charged with having between September 11 and 1-1 kept whisky for gale in a prohibited area. A similar charge was preferred against Frederick Carrington, butcher, of Awakino. , The date of his alleged offence was between August 29 and September 2. ; The case against Carrington \Vas taken first.

.Senior-Sergeant ITaddrell prosecuted and Mr. J. IT. Quilliam defended. The defendant pleaded guilty. . Mr. Quilliam explained that the defendant, who was a well-known and high-ly-respected resident of Awaking, was by some accident a victim of circumstances. Liquor had certainly been found in his possession, but it had been ordered by, and obtained for, another man, who, when approached by the police, had repudiated the order. The defendant; who did. not sell any liquor, was a carriei, and in that capacity had received the order. The defendant, however, recognised that the onus was on him to disprove the charge, and on that .account pleaded guilty. In asking for leniency, Mr. Quilliam pointed out that the defendant had pleaded guilty and had given the police the least possible trouble. ■ His Worship convicted and fined Car-' riiMon £2(l. but subsequently, on learning the amount of the costs, reduced it to £lO. The costs were £ll 8s Id. Morton's case was next called., He likewise pleaded guilty. Mr R Siience appeared for the defendant, and stated .that after consideration of the whole of the circumstances of.the case, he had advised him to plead guilty. AVlie'n apprehended by the police, Morton had only four bottles in his .possession. He had' given three bottles away, the understanding being that the recipients would pay him back "when they got a casein." He had not sold any drink Morton was fined £lO, with costs £ll 3s* Id.