A morning in Blenheim’s courthouse

Cyclists, a litterbug, and a pottymouth are among those who appeared in the Magistrate’s Court in Blenheim 110 years ago, as we take a flick through the archives. From the Marlborough Express, January 27, 1914.

For a breach of the Borough by-laws in placing rubbish in Market Street on January 7th, Philip Joseph Newport was fined 1s and 7s costs by Mr F. O’B. Loughnan, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court this morning.

The defendant, in pleading guilty, stated that he was instructed by his employer to cart rubbish from a certain locality to the Taylor riverbed, while the police mentioned that in the course of this operation the defendant allowed rubbish to be scattered indiscriminately.

The defendant drew the Magistrate’s attention to the fact that the Borough by-law governing this case had not been advertised until a week after the occurrence; but his Worship remarked that a fine would have a salutary effect, and would draw public attention to the fact that such a by-law was in existence.

Charged before Mr F. O’B. Loughnan, S.M., this morning with drunkenness and having used indecent language, Joseph O’Sullivan did not appear.

Alexander Leckie, licensee of the Criterion Hotel, gave evidence that the accused entered the bar between eight and nine o’clock in the evening, and his condition was such that he was ejected. The man resisted, and used the language complained of. The police were communicated with, and the man was arrested. S. Tapp gave corroborative evidence.

For drunkenness the accused was fined 10s, and for the bad language £3, the alternatives being fixed at terms of imprisonment of four days and fourteen days respectively.

The adjourned case in which Horace William Roberts was charged with having failed to comply with an order for the maintenance of his wife and four children was heard by Mr F. O’B. Loughnan, S.M., this morning. The arrears amounted to

£67 on November 25th. The defendant, who did not appear, and who was stated to be in the North Island, was convicted and sentenced to four months’ imprisonment.

The activity of Constables Quayle and Byrne in checking the progress of a number of cyclists who had transgressed the Borough by-laws by riding along the footpath in Maxwell Road on January 5th resulted in the following being defendants in cases called at the Magistrate’s Court this morning: Angus Wattie, J. W. Ivess, Patrick Burton, John Kelleher, Kenneth Clifford, S. E. Hulbert, and Mrs Neal.

Only two defendants appeared, and in each case a conviction was recorded, and a fine of 1s with 7s costs was imposed. Eight other defendants in similar cases have yet to be dealt with.

In 1914, the Marlborough Express front page is covered in classified advertisements.