IN THE COURTS

Gisborne Times, Volume LXV, Issue 10315, 26 January 1927, Page 6

IN THE COURTS

HOTEL LICENSEE AND BARMAN IN TROUBLE. SUPPLYING BEER IN STREET. AUCKLAND, Jan. 25. As the outcome of an incident on the night of December 10 when two men were supplied with seven bottles of beer in a street outsidq. the Alexandra Hotel, the licensee Albert Edward Neville was fined £lO with costs in the Police Court by Air. Hunt, S.AI., who entered a conviction on a charge of selling liquor in contravention of section 190 of the Licensing Act. Rupert Bell, a carter, who was sometimes employed on Saturday afternoons and holidays as barman, was fined £o on a charge of supplying liquor to a person who was not at the time entitled to be supplied. , The Alagistrate said Neville had set up several defences: (1) That the seven bottles of "beer were sold by him'to Bell for his own consumption; (2) that the beer was not supplied on the premises; (3) that lie was only responsible for what Bell did as bar-, man, and that this sale of beer was outside the scope of his authority. The first defence, said the Alagistrate, was a question of fact, and lie did not believe the statement. “If I did believe it,” said Air. Hunt, ~ •'the sal® would be illegal unless the liquor was sold for consumption on the premises.” The third defence might have been an answer had Bell 'opened the bar unknown to the licensee, but he had given Neville the 7s when he was in the bar, and Neville handed over the, liquor without asking any questions or taking any precautions. He, therefore, had to be convicted.—P.A.

ILLEGAL CONVERSION OF CARS TO OWN USE. YOUTH SENT TO BORSTAL. AUCKLAND, Jan. 25. A youth aged 17, admitted in the Police Court that he had, without color of right, converted to his own use several motor-cars and trucks, and also admitted a charge of ’having stolen an overcoat valued at £7 7s, •shoes valued at 30s, and a brief bag and contents valued at £2 15s. When questioned by the constable concerning the overcoat and the brief bag. the accused said lie had found these in one of the cars he had taken. He had driven td the Domain, where he threw them away in the drive. A constable accompanied accused to the Domain where a thorough search was made without result. Two of the trucks were damaged while tools and a tyre were stolen from another of the vehicles. “There is only one tiling to be done with this boy” said Air Hunt, S.AI. “His father cannot look after him; in fact, 1 think the father approves of the idea of having him sent to a Borstal institution.” “I think it would he to his advantage,” said the father, who was standing near the dock. “I’m quite sure it would,” said Air. Hunt. “I’m going to send him to Borstal for three years.”—P.A.

ALLEGED PERJCRY BY CONSTABLE.

DUNEDIN, Jan. 25. Constable George Alaeartney ap peared again this morning in the Police Court charged on two informations with committing perjury in the Supreme Court on November 3 by

stating that John William Lockett j Was drunk on the night of July 28, I and that he struck Lockett no blow. After lengthy evidence for the prosecution, a great deal of which, ae cording to the Alagistrate, was unreliable, decision was reserved till Atonday.—P'.A.

lAIPOSTER SEN TEN CED

CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 25

Henry Bowman, 41, a butcher, Was sentenced to one year’s gaol with hard labor to-day for false pretences, the police stating that he had been going round the country imposing on business firms and obtaining money by representing that -lie was connected with an Auckland firm.:—P.A.