MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 October 1916, Page 7

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

THEFT OF OVERCOAT. CIRCUS IIAXD CONVICTED. A charge of .dealing an overcoat, valued at 15s, the property of Frederipk bradley, was preferred against a circus hand named Percy Holland before Mr. A. Brooke, S.M„ in the' Magistrate's Court yesterday morning. Accused pleaded not guilty. Sub-Inspector I'ouhy prosecuted. Frederick Bradley, a 'barman at the White Hart Hotel, identified the coat (produced) as his. He said he left the coat hanging in the usual place in a recess on the ground floor of the hotel on Wednesday morning. Later in the day he missed the coat, and after ascertaining that no one on the hotel staff had taken the loan of it, he gave information to Constable Fitzgibbon. Witness and the constable afterwards found the accused in the street wearing the coat in question. Witness valued the coat at Las.

■Plain-clothes Constable Fitzgibbon and when lie airested accused the man was perfectly sober. He first i.»U a man had given him {he coat, an.l lie then said he had bought it. The accused stated that he had travelled with Barton's circus for some jtime, and had lost considerable sleep. Ho had taken whisky, and was somewhat stupid yesterday morning. He had no knowledge of having stolen the coat. I The Magistrate said thare was no doubt the accused had stolen the coat. Accused was convicted and fined .£2, and was given the alternative of serving a sentence of one month's imprisonment. DANGEROUS DRIVING. ..Norman West was charged, on the information of the police, with driving liis motor-car along Devon street on the evening of October. 7 in a manner that was dangerous to the public. The defendant did not appear. Constable Parkinson said on the occasion in question the defendant drove his car at the rate of about 40 mileß an hour. Numbers of people were leaving the picture theatres at the time, and the streets were crowded. There was grave danger of some of the people being knocked down. Thomas William Ward estimated the speed of the car at the time to be 35 miles an hour. Sub-Inspector Fouhy, who prosecuted, said defendant had been convicted in May last for a similar offence. The Magistrate convicted and fined defendant £2 and costs. ' BREACH OF BY-LAW. Edward Arthur Elliott was charged on the information of the borough inspector (Mr. B. Tipping), with allowing his motor-cycle to stand in Currie street on the evening of October 1-9 without sufficient lights. Evidence was given by the inspector, and defendant was convicted and fined 10s.