AFTER HOURS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 60, 31 July 1914, Page 4

AFTER HOURS.

ALLKGKD BREACH OF LICENSING ACT. Tin- person who is found on lie«i» <'d promises after hours must, to em'ii|it'. » penalty, prove that he was not there for an unlawful purpose, and \i he can do so, he lias committed no breach of the law. That was, in lirief, the decision of Mr A. Crooke, S.M., in the New Plymouth irugiutrate's Court yesterday, wlien Edward' Cook, William'.Seamark, Forester Thompson, Robert Edward.-;, and .Tames Mouat were charged with having been Found inside the Grosvenor Hotel, New Plymouth, at 10.15 p.m. <»i duly hi, contrary to the Licensing Act. Senr.-Sergeant Haddrell conducted the prosecution.

Mr George Grey appeared for all t!i ■ accused, and pleaded guilty. A technical offence only -had been committed, he said. The bar was closed at 10 p.m., and the outer doors of the hotel were locked, hut the men got into an nrsnment, in which the licensee took part, on the subject of the recent football match in Australia, and lingered in tinpassage of the "hotel. They did- not notice the flight of time until the policeman entered. They had not entered the. premises after hours, nor had they lingered there on purpose to evade the law. They were all temperate and respectable citizx-ns. No liquor was i-v. WOSed for sale. He pressed for a small fine at moat.

Mr Crooke: Have yon seen Mr Justice Cooper's recent decision on t"!i.< point, Mr Grey? If von had, T think you would not (have pleaded guilty. Mr Grey: "Then way I be allowed to withdraw my plea? I had not looked into the case, a s I merely took instructions just recently to plead guilty uml>r extenuating circumstances. Mr Crooke: Tjlen read Judge Cooper's decision, which'statcd that it was the intention of the Licensing Act to threw on any persons found on licensed premises after hours the onus of proving that -lie wa s not there for the. purpose ot buying liquor, not for otherwise contravening the law. He granted Mr Grey an adjournment of half an hour to look into the matter with leave to withdraw his plea if he saw tit. ' On resumption, Mr Crev altered his ,"'a to one of not guilty, and Sev,-t lM<l''cl proceeded to'proV; the case' .cms aMe Wroblonski deposed that with Constable X o ] an .)„. v j sit , t , .otel on. the night i„ question do, !<'™g opened by the 'daughter of the iccnsee. Ie found all the accused standmg m the passage with the licensee Seamark said they were onlv in con-" versat.on, ami the lic( . nw!c «», Xolan corroborated this evi-

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