S.M. COURT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 April 1943, Page 4

S.M. COURT

SITTING IN MASTERTON DISTURBANCE IN RESTAURANT. AN ACCUSED FINED. The fortnightly sitting of the Masterton Magistrate’s Court was held today, Mr H. P. Lawry, S.M., was on the Bench. „„ Thomas Burnett Wilton was fined L 3, with 10s costs, on a charge of having behaved disorderly in a public place. Senior Sergeant C. Murphy said that Wilton had entered a restaurant m Masterton at about 11 p.m. on April 8, had insulted the proprietor and an employee, and made a general nuisance of himself. He was out to make trouble with visiting service men. Evidence was given by Constable Bell and M. Kurta, the proprietor of the restaurant. . R. Pierci, an employee, said Wilton came into the restaurant in an intoxicated state. He made reference to American service men and to the American Red Cross Service Club, used bad language, and threatened to assault him and the proprietor. Wilton and a companion had a meal and walked out without paying. FOUR DAYS’ IMPRISONMENT. J. H. Knipe was convicted and sentenced to four days’ imprisonment on a charge of having used obscene language. Mr Lawry said that a fine would not meet the case, as the language had been used in the presence of a lady. Senior Sergeant Murphy said that at 1 a.m. on April 10 the defendant drove up in his car to 111 Chapel Street, where his wife was boarding, and called to her from the street, and used filthy language to his wife and the other occupant of the room, a Maori girl. For the defendant, Mr J. Macfarlane Laing denied that the language complained of had been used, but stated that the defendant’s conduct was due to his wife’s association with visiting service men.

The defendant said that he drove past his wife’s place of residence by chance, when one of the passengers in the car drew his attention to a party that was going on. One of the Marines in his car mentioned that defendant’s wife was dancing there with another Marine.

Mr Lawry said he had warned Knipe to keep away from his wife a fortnight ago. Knipe denied having used any of the words complained of. Mr Lawry said that some of the words mentioned in the complaint were enough to send him to gaol for three months.

Senior Sergeant Murphy asked defendant if he had been driving Marines to sly grog shops in Masterton and driving about town all night. Defendant denied that he had done so.

In reply to Sergeant Murphy’s inquiry as to where he got the benzine from, defendant said the Marines supplied it, and he had his coupons. He denied that he had been driving Marines to a house that was not being conducted in a reputable manner. The Senior-Sergeant read out a list of previous convictions relating to theft and a charge of misusing an oil fuel licence.

After hearing a volume of evidence the Magistrate entered a conviction. On a charge of having attempted to commit suicide, a man, publication of whose name was suppressed, was convicted and ordered to come up for sentence if called upon.

CIVIL CASE. In a judgment summons case adjourned from last court day, in which Smith and Smith, warehousemen, of Wellington (Mr R. R. Burridge, acting for Messrs Gawith, Biss and Wilson) sued A. Hausman (Mr H. H. Daniell) for £2B 16s Id, the Magistrate made an order for the amount claimed, plus costs, the warrant to be suspended so long as Hausman paid £1 a month; in default one month’s imprisonment.