Magistrate’s Court Disqualified Driver Fined £60

Press, Volume C, Issue 29513, 13 May 1961, Page 13

Magistrate’s Court Disqualified Driver Fined £60

A fine of £6O was imposed on Arthur John Warrington, a butchery manager, who appeared for sentence before Mr A. P. Blair, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court yesterday on a charge of driving while disqualified. Warrington (Mr B. J. Drake) also had his term of disqualification extended for one year.

Mr Drake said Warrington’s wife had driven since the disqualification was imposed in 1959. On March 23 Mrs Warrington planned to take her family away for the week-end, but certain things needed to be done to the car. Warrington decided to drive it to a garage a short way from his home. He was 'caught bringing the car back. Warrington's attempts to avoid detection were, as the probation officer reported, the actions of a man who panicked. Mr Drake said. Warrington’s only irresponsibility seemed to be in his driving, said the Magistrate. He had an excellent work record and home life. In the circumstances he would impose a fine and not imprisonment. TOOK BREAD VAN A Danish seaman from the Swedish ship Cumulus was fined £3O for unlawfully taking a bread van in Fendalton road early yesterday morning., The seaman, Karl Eric Leif Hansen, pleaded guilty through an interpreter. Sergeant T. A. A. Marson said Keith Clifford Smith telephoned the police at 1.35 a.m., saying his van had been taken and driven along Fendalton road away from the city. Hansen and a companion were found not far from where the van had been abandoned.

Hansen told the police he had taken a girl home from a dance in the city, said Sergeant Marson. He planned to drive the van to the railway station to get back to his ship It appeared the companion had little to do with the offence, said Sergeant Marson. Apparently drinking had something (o do with the offence. OBSTRUCTED POLICE When Desmond Hugh Campbell arrived at the Christchurch Central Police Station on Thursday to report the theft of his motorcycle, a police officer thought him unfit to ride away on a power-cycle. said Sergeant Marson. Campbell, aged 33, a metalpolisher, was fined £5 for wilfully obstructing a police officer in the execution of his duty. He pleaded guilty. “Campbell was somewhat under the influence,” said Sergeant Marson. “When the officer told him not to ride the power-cycle an argument developed, and he was arrested. “It turned out that his motor-cycle was taken by a friend he had been drinking with that afternoon.” he said. Imposing the fine, the Magistrate said he would take into account that Campbell had spent the night in custody. REMANDED Charged with driving while intoxicated on May 11. James Kenneth Hand was remanded on bail to May 22. CHARGES DISMISSED A charge of failing to give way, against Alan Henry Reed, who pleaded not guilty, was dismissed. Mr R. G. Blunt appeared for Reed. A charge of driving in a dangerous manner, against Hilton Leslie Pearce, who pleaded not guilty, w’as also dismissed. Mr W. F. Brown appeared for Pearce.

OTHER TRAFFIC CHARGES Other traffic offenders prosecuted by the police were dealt with as follows.— Drove without lights: John Michael Lester, £3 (two charges of having no warrant of fitness, £1 and £2. failed to produce driving licence, £2). Failed to give way: George Stanley Pegg. £4; Kevin Aubrey Anderson, £10: Joseph Charles Kirner, £3 (no warrant of fitness. £2>: Ronald Percy Quartly, £5. Failed to comply with traffic lights: John Adrian Clarke. £5. Drove -without due care and attention: Patrick George Goodyer. £10: Percival George Hawes. £B. Overtook without 300 ft of clear view: Denis Patrick Michael Kelly. £B. and driving licence suspended for one month. No warrant of fitness: Harry John Vickers, convicted and discharged. (Before Mr J. D. Willis, S M.) LICENCE CANCELLED On a charge of dangerous driving in Greers road on February 8, Joseph Charles Tait was convicted and fined £l2 10s and his driver’s licence was cancelled for two years. Tait, a 46-year-old manufacturing chemist, pleaded not guiltv. and was represented by Mr R Twyneham.

Robert Nicholas Lee said that he was in Greers road about 9 p.m. on February 8 when he saw a car hit two parked cars and continue down the road travelling on the wrong side. He said that the bumoer bar of the ear was dragging on the road and throwing off a shower of sparks. Under cross-examination the witness said that the ear seemed to be out of control. Two other police witnesses. Reginald James O’Donnell and Ronald Sawyer, corroborated Lee’s evidence O'Donnell estimated the car's speed at between 35 and 40 miles an hour. In a statement made to Constable W J. Baguley on February 9 Tait said that he remembered hitting a parked car with his front bumper bar which was afterwards dragging on the road. He put the bumper bar in the car and then panicked and walked home. His wife returned and brought the car home. Next day his wife read in the paper a report of an accident in Greers road the previous night, and he then ■went to the police, the statement said. For the defendant. Mr Twyneham said that he had been suffering from overstrain and had been in a bad state of health He had recently suffered a blackout CARELESS DRIVING For driving without due care and attention Douglas Arnold Suckling was fined £2 IDs. James Arthur Ross was fined £5. and Alfred Herbert Hammond was fined £3 10s.