S.M. COURT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 May 1940, Page 7

S.M. COURT

SITTING AT EKETAHUNA POSSESSION OF DRINK NEAR DANCE HALL. ("Times-Age” Special.) A special sitting of the S.M. Court was held yesterday before Mr H. P. Lawry. S.M. Leonard Fafeita was charged with having obtained liquor on licensed premises while under age. The defendant pleaded guilty and was fined £2 with costs 16s. William Taylor was charged with a similar offence and was fined £2. with court costs 10s. William Taylor was charged with dangerous driving. In outlining the case for the police, Constable McCowan said that defendant had been in Pahiatua in the afternoon. About 6.30 o'clock in the evening he was taking a party of three passengers to the station. He proceeded down Stanley Street at a terrific speed. On coming to the corner of John Street he had applied his brakes and the Constable estimated that the car had skidded with the" brakes applied for 80 yards, before it rolled over twice. As a result of the crash Taylor had been slightly injured but the others in the car were not hurt. Mr Parsons, who appeared for Taylor. said that it was admitted that the speed was the cause of the accident. He said Taylor's livelihood depended on his retaining his driving licence. The Magistrate, in imposing a fine of £2 with 10s costs, said that he would take into consideration that Taylor’s living depended on driving a van and while he did not intend to cancel his licence. Taylor would be debarred from driving a private car for three months. Charles Liverton was charged with having been in possession of liquor in the vicinity of a dance hall. Constable McCowan said that the offence was committed at the Alfredton sports dance. Defendant’s car was parked in the County yard. He accosted defendant who had in his possession 15 bottles of beer.

Mr Page appeared for defendant and entered a plea of guilty. Liverton, he said, had not intended being at the dance, but while he was on his way home from Wellington he had stopped to inquire if a certain man was present. He was at the dance only half to three-quarters of an hour. A fine of £1- with 10s court costs was imposed. Valetine Brandon Tripe was charged with having been in possession of liquor in the vicinity of a dance hall; With having hindered the police in the execution of their duty; and also with having used obscene language. Mr N. H. Rawson, who appeared for Tripe, at first pleaded not guilty to the first two charges and reserved his plea on the third. During the hearing of the case it was found that an error had been made in the charge sheets and they were amended accordingly. Mr Rawson then entered pleas of guilty on all three counts. Constable McCowan said that while out at the Alfredton sports dance, in company with Constable Gainey, of Pongaroa, he saw a glass being filled and handed to an occupant of the back seat in a car. When they were close to the car the lights were extinguished. The driver (defendant) denied having liquor in the car. The other occupants of the car were two women and another young man (who was not drinking). In the car were found three glasses and two empty beer bottles. When he asked the women in the car for their names and addresses the defendant pushed the police away and caused a scene, and became very abusive. Defendant denied that he had any more liquor in the car and refused point blank to unlock the luggage carrier or hand over the keys. Constable McCowan said that one of the locks was broken and that by prising open one end, he saw, with the aid of a torch, a sugar sack, which plainly contained bottles. The defendant said the sack contained horse feed and again became very abusive. When he finally handed, over a bunch of keys it was found that none of them fitted the lock of the luggage carrier. Despite repeated warnings, Tripe continued to hinder the police and sang out to the women not to give their names. The women, however, gave their names quite freely and admitted having had drink. To Mr Rawson, witness said that defendant had admitted that the beer was his. Constable McCowan said that defendant’s attitude was not bombastic but it was a case of showing off before the women. Constable Gainey, of Pongaroa, gave similar evidence. Mr Rawson said that there was only a small quantity of drink in the car and it was not a drinking party. The defendant did not intend to hinder Lhe police, but merely endeavoured to keep the names of the women out of the affair.

The Magistrate: “The women were liable to be charged as well as defendant.” On the charge of having been in possession of liquor Tripe was fined £5 and 10s costs. On the hindering charge defendant was fined £5 with costs 10s and on the obscene language charge he was fined £5 with 10s costs. CIVIL CASES. Judgment was given for plaintiff in the following civil cases: Herberts Motors Ltd v Ernest John Eagle, £49 18s 6d, and costs; Phil Pike, Ltd, v C. Taylor, claim £2 8s 6d and costs: Phil Pike, Ltd v A. J. McKnight, £3 9s. lid and costs.