"A FEW DRINKS"

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 143, 5 April 1940, Page 5

"A FEW DRINKS"

. INTOXICATED MOTORIST MINIMUM FINE INFLICTED Charles Henderson, aged 58, salesman, appeared before Messrs fi. A. Brabant and A. C. Sutherland, Justices of the Peace in the Police Court yesterday morning charged with being in a state of intoxication whilst in charge of a car on the Whakatane-Rotorua main road ■ on Wednesday. Sergeant M. Farrell prosecuted and Mr C. A. Suckling appeared for defendant, who pleaded guilty. The facts, said Sergeant Farrell/ - were that at mid-day on March V defendant was travelling on the Te 'Tcko road in the direction of Roto-j rniia. The car went over the bank, on the side of the road and the police were summoned. Defendant was brought into Whakatane immediately and examined by Dr. Appleby, who certified that he Avas intoxicated. Mr Suckling said that defendant fwa.s a highly respected "citizen of 'Rotorua, in which town he had livjed for 25 years. He had driven all sorts of motor vehicles in the last 23 years and had never been convicted for a Iraffic offence, nor had lie ever been involved in a traffic ..accident. He had had c> few drinks with an 'old friend at Tc Teko, and had not had more than two pint bottles .and two glasses of liquor. When -driving towards Rotorua some lime :afterwards he had slowed down to "light a cigarette. The corrugations on the road caused the car to slew round to the side of the road. He had been found intoxicated, but the medical certificate showed that lie -was not seriously affected. Defendant was prepared to submit to the cancellation of his license as he had stated that he would never again drive a car. Heavy expenses had been incurred as the result of the accident and counsel asked the Bench to take that fact into consideration as well .as the fact that he was alone in the car, his life being the only one endangered, and had driven on an open country road, where the chances of serious consequences were not the same as in the city. "The Act considers this a very serious offence," said the Bench, • "and provides for a penalty up to £100." The Bench considered counsel's plea and would inflict the minimum fine, £10. Defendant's /license was cancelled for six months