MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 July 1919, Page 6

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

YESTERDAY'S SITTING. (Before Mr S. E. McCarthy, S.M.) The following cases were dealt with at the New Plymouth Magistrate's Court yesterday by Mr S. E. McCarthy, S.M.:— DRUNKENNESS. Frank Harrington, against whom there Were about thirty previous convictions, was charged, oir remand, with drunkenness at Okato on July 18. He pleaded guilty and was lined the sum of £l, in default 48 hours' imprisonment with hard labor. He was also ordered to pay the costs of curative treatment, in default one month's imprisonment. REMANDED FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT. Frederick T. Eliss, who had been previously remanded for medical treatment, was certified medically unfit to appear and was further remanded till August Ist . Mr S. B. Fitzherbert for accused raised no objection, BOROUGH AND COUNTY BYLAWS. Howard Russ, taxi driver, New Plymouth, was charged, with leaving a motor car standing in Brougham Street, on the night of July 10, without having proper lights attached ,to it .He pleaded not guilty. Constable Nolan said at 9.30 .on the night of July 10, he found a car standing in Brougham Street, and there were no lights on it. He took the, registration number which was New Plymouth, 401. At 1115 he returned and the car was still there without lights, and there was no one about. The car had gone when he went .there again at midnight. He reported the matter on the following morning. Constable Wroblenski gave evidence as ,to ascertaining the owner of the car. He found the car was registered in the name of West, Egmont Street, New Plymouth, and was driven by defendant. He interviewed'defendant who admitted his car had been left in Brougham Stree.t on the date in question, but said the lights were on. He admitted his car had been left in the Suae street on the I Tuesday night before when there had [ been no lights on it. Defendant said he left his car in the street while he was in the garage getting some repair effected, but the lights were on when he left the car and were also burning when he returned to the car a,t 11.15 and went to Washbourne's garage in response to a telephone message. H. V. Batten, motor mechanic, said defendant came to the garage on the night of the 10th for some repair work. The lights of his car were burning when he arrived, also when lie left at about 10 30. The Magistrate said he thought the evidence of the constable who made a report on the matter at the time was more reliable than that of the other witnesses who made no notes of .the happenings. He therefore imposed a fine of £1 (costs 7s), in default 7 days' imprisonment. Harry Longstaff was charged with riding a motor cycle at Bell Block at night without a* light. Sub-Inspector pointed out that as a result of defendant's action a collision with a motor car had occurred and defendant and another man who was on the cycle at ,the time were, both injured. Defendant had admitted" to | Constable) Wroblenski that the fault was his (a signed statement to the effect was put in), and he asked that as he was not yet well enough to attend the court the statement be accepted as a plea of guilty. The Magistrate said that he would take into consideration the fact that defendant had suffered somewhat for his indiscretion. The practice of riding without lights, however, was too common. A fine of £2 (costs 7s) was inflicted, in default 7 days' imprisonment . David Greenway was charged on four informations, with allowing cattle to wander on County roads. Mr A. A. Bennett appeared for defendant and pleaded guilty. He submitted in mitigation of the offences that the shipping shortage and coal trouble and consequent railway restrictions were the cause of .the offences. Defendant's cattle had been purchased by Borthwick and Co, and were to have been taken to the Waitara freezing works. On account of the delay in connection with the ship Armagh, which was taking frozen meat away from .the Waitara works, Borthwicks had been unable to take delivery of the stock and they had no feed for them. Defendant had sold because he had no feed, and so it was arranged to put them on a couple of byroads, and a native was pu,t in charge of jthem.\ He had been instructed to see j that the cattle did not trespass, and when the ranger came along this na,tive was away from the stock seeing that gates and fences along the road were secure. It seemed to be a choice between breaking the by-law or letting the cattle starve. > . Mr Ronald H. Quilliam, who appeared for the informant, said he believed what defendant's counsel had said was correct. He pointed out, however, that 131 head of cat,tie had been on the road for four days, and had done damage to watertables which had recently been repaired. Also that it was defendant's second offence ,for similar breaches. The Magistrate convicted and fined defendant the sum of £5 (costs 7s, and solicitor's fee £2 2s), on ono information, and convicted and discharged on the others, W. G. Marr was charged with failing to contribute towards the maintenance of two of his children who had been committed to a receiving home. Sub-Inspector Hutton stated defendant had offered to pay 5s per week towards the keep of each child, and from what he knew pi his position he .thought it a reasonable offer . An order was made in accordance with the offer of defendantThe hearing of a case against F. P. Corkill for an alleged breach of the Land Agents Act, was adjourned for a fortnight. /