BRIBE TO POLICEMAN.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 January 1921, Page 5

BRIBE TO POLICEMAN.

PUBLICAN’S SERIOUS CRIME. FIRST CASE OF ITS KIND. By Telegraph—Press Association. Christchurch, Last Night. The seriousness of any attempt to bribe a public officer in order to induce him to neglect his duty was stressed by Mr. McCarthy, S.M.. at the Lyttelton Magistrate’s Court this morning, when John Rea, licensee of the Saxon Hotel, was charged with offering a bribe # on December 26 to a constable. Mr. Barrett, on behalf of accused, pleaded ty-Senior-Sergeant D. Jackson stated .that the charge, which was brought under section 22 (a) of the Police Offences Act, arose out of a breach of the Licensing Act, and it was the first case in the Dominion since the Act was passed in 1913. Mr. Barrett said the police had been very severe in bringing the present charge. Rea had been charged with a breach of the Licensing Act in December last, and in thg course of evidence it transpired that a bribe had been offered by him to Constable Hislop. A deliberate act of bribery was no doubt a serious offence, but the present case was different. Rea was suddenly caught supplying a man with liquor at a time when the hotel should have been closed. When accosted by the constable regarding the offence, Rea made the rash offer which he should have resisted, and which would cling to him as long as he lived. In the course of his evidence the constable spoke about the bribery, and Rea honestly admitted he had made a grave and serious error. Had he denied the allegation it would have been difficult to convict him. When his Worship was reviewing the evidence he spoke about the bribery, but the speaker pointed out that Rea had not on that occasion been charged with bribery. His Worship, however, in then inflicting the maximum penalty of £lO, probably took into account the question, of. bribery; otherwise, the speaker felt such a heavy fine would not have been inflicted.

His Worship stated that the Legislature. looked upon bribery as a very serious crime. Any person who prevented any public officer from doing his duty was an enemy of the commonwealth. The circumstances were fully gone into for the breach of the Licensing Act, and when inflicting the penalty of £lO he took notice of the fact that defendant had, during the interview by the police, attempted to bribe ®ne of the constables. The police, however, were quite right in bringing the present charge, so as to show others how seriously any attempt to induce public officers td refrain from performing their duty was regarded by the Legislature. The accused would be convicted and fined a nominal sum of £l.