£l2O IN FINES

Waikato Times, Volume 129, Issue 21584, 21 November 1941, Page 4

£l2O IN FINES

GAMING HOUSE CHARGES ! MAN AND WIFE CONVICTED I Fines totalling ,23 were imposed jon a man and his wife when they | pleaded guilty before Mr W. H. Freeman, SM., in the Magistrate’s Court, Hamilton, today to gaming charges. Defendants were Steve Dominikovich and Mrs Sadie Domini--1 kovich (both represented by Mr W. J. King) and they were charged with using premises in Garden Place as a common gaming house. | Senior-Sergeant A. G. McHugh j said that as a result of complaints | received by the police a warrant was executed on Dominic Buildings and the palce was found to be set up purely as a betting establishment. All the usual parapnernalia connected with such placqs was found by the police. The books showed that 55 “doubles” to the value of £2B 5s and 71 ordinary bets to the value of £34 had been taken in connection with the races at Te Rapa. Several telephone rings were received while the police were there and the amount of betting material indicated that the business was an extensive one. Mrs Dominikovich had not previously been before the court, but Dominikovich had. He was not present when the place was raided, but he later came forward and said he wished to take all the blame. However, Mrs Dominikovich was in charge of the place at the time and thus she had to be charged.

Dominikovich had. a good reputation and was always regarded as an honourable man in his occupation, said Mr King. There was never any suggestion that he was one who did not meet his obligations. He contributed generously to patriotic ! funds. “A Prosperous Business” | “Judging by the monument in , Garden Place,” said the magistrate, I “it appears to be a prosperous busiI ness.” Mr King suggested that the husband and wife should be treated as ! one, as was done in many cases of j law. j “Surely he knows the risk he is ■ taking with regard to his freedom,” : said the magistrate. Dominikovich ! was fined £IOO and costs, and Mrs ! Dominikovich £2O and costs, j A charge of being found without i lawful excuse in a common gaming ; house, preferred against William Thomas McCabe, was withdrawn. Senior-Sergeant McHugh said that after making inquiries the police were satisfied that McCabe was a friend of Dominikovich and had visited the premises because he ! knew the man was ill at the time, j There was no betting material in McI Cabe’s possession and there was j nothing to show that he had gone to j the place for the purpose of betting.