1935, Kelly went to the Royal Hotel in Lismore and asked the licensee, Charles Spillane, for a drink. As it was after hours and Kelly was known to be a local, Spillane refused to serve him. While the publican was distracted, Kelly opened the bar door and took 14 shillings off the ledge of the till. He was seen and Spillane detained the young man and called the police. Two days later, Kelly faced the Police Magistrate. In outlining the details of the case, Constable Hunt commented that Kelly "was a respectable young man". He was fined one pound (in default two days' imprisonment) for being on licensed premises after hours and three pounds on the charge of stealing the money (in default six days' imprisonment). In view of Kelly's previous good character, the Police Magistrate allowed him a month to pay the fines. Criminal record Police evidence at Kelly's trial in September 1937 stated that prior to 1935, Kelly "was regarded as a respectable lad, but since then he had been going downhill". The young man was "addicted to drink and associated with young men of the larrikin type". His parents were regarded as highly respected members of the Lismore community "and had done everything in their power to put him on the right road". On 22 February 1936, Kelly was stopped by the police while driving a motor lorry in Lismore. When asked for his license, he said it had expired in November and he had misplaced the renewal notice "and did not bother about it". He was fined one pound (with eight shillings costs). Shortly after midnight on 16 May 1936, Kelly was stopped by the Lismore police and was found to be under the influence of alcohol. A leather overcoat was found in the car which had been reported as stolen from the Federalette hall earlier in the evening. A day or so later, Kelly stole a blank cheque from a cheque book belonging to the partnership of Black & Black, garage proprietors in Lismore. On May 18, he falsely claimed to Mervyn Jones, a barman at the Hotel Gollan, that the cheque was a genuine order for £20 10s, purporting to be signed by 'J. Black'. On 21 May 1936, Kelly appeared before the Lismore Police Court, charged with fraudulently passing the cheque three days earlier and obtaining drinks to the value of five shillings