MAGISTRATE’S COURT Disqualified Driver Sent To Gaol For Three Months

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31087, 16 June 1966, Page 6

MAGISTRATE’S COURT Disqualified Driver Sent To Gaol For Three Months

A disqualified driver who was apprehended twice within a week while driving was gaoled for a total of three months when he appeared in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday before Mr E. A. Lee, S.M. David William McDonald, aged 24, a scrap metal dealer (Mr D. H. Stringer), pleaded not guilty to charges that on January 13 on the State Highway near Oamaru he drove while disqualified, supplied false information to a traffic officer, and exceeded 55 m.p.h. He also pleaded not guilty to charges that on January 20 at Gladstone, Westland, he drove while disqualified and supplied false information to a traffic officer. A charge of failing to produce his driver’s -licence on January 13 was withdrawn.

Traffic Officer J. C. Butterfield said that on January 13 Traffic Officer Mclver stopped McDonald for exceeding 55 ntpK McDonald gave the name Terry McDonald, and an address in Christchurch. Later McDonald had written to the department and said his address was in Westport. On January 20 Traffic Officer Sutherland stopped McDonald and on that occasion McDonald again gave the name of Terry McDonald. When a police constable served the summonses he had recognised that Terry McDonald was in fact David William McDonald. McDonald had been disqualified for 18 months on February 9, 1965.

The Magistrate told McDonald that with his record it was quite impossible for him to accede to Mr Stringer's request and allow him to retain his freedom. He knew he was previously disqualified and knew he had been detected driving on January 13, and again drove on January 20.

On each charge of supplying false information he was convicted and fined £5. On the charge of exceeding 55 ntpjh. he was convicted and fined £3. On the charge of driving while disqualified on January 13 he was convicted, imprisoned for one month and his period of disqualification

was extended for an additional year. On the second charge of driving while disqualified he was convicted, imprisoned for two months and disqualified from driving for an added year. The terms of imprisonment and of disqualification are to be cumulative. IDLE AND DISORDERLY Mack Matatia Cowan, aged 19, unemployed, pleaded guilty to a charge that on June 14 he was an idle and disorderly person in that he had insufficient means of support. He was convicted and remanded in custody for a probation officer’s report and sentence on June 23. Detective Sergeant D. Porteous said that the police had had to visit a flat in Christchurch on June 14. There they had spoken to Cowan who said he had been in Christchurch since the beginning of April and had worked for only one week. He could not explain his means of support He had no assets in Christchurch and had only

four shillings in his possession. The other person in the flat had been arrested on a burglary charge. BREACH OF PROBATION Brian Saville Meredith, aged 30, a car salesman-hotel worker, pleaded guilty to a charge of a breach of his probation by failing to report. He was convicted and fined £5. DISMISSED

A charge against Alexander Hall (Mr R. J. Allan) of failing to comply with a compulsory stop sign at the intersection of Memorial avenue and Grahams road on November 27 was dismissed. He pleaded not guilty. TRAFFIC OFFENCES

In other prosecutions brought by the Transport Department, convictions were entered and fines imposed as follows, with costs, £1 10s on each charge. Passed on longitudinal lines: Allan John McGillivray, £25.

Parking offence: Jamee Alfred Clarke, £4.

Failed to stop at compulsory etop sign: Bryan William Tou-re-11, costs only.

Failed to stop at pedestrian crossing for school patrol: Irvine Alexander Ralston Campbell, S«.

Careless use: Robert Bromley Jones, £5 (failed to stop after an accident, £lO, disqualified for three months from today); Frank Uru Tale, £8 (failed to make way for siren, £5, disqualified for three months); Robert McLean Beggs. £lO. Used motor-vehicle without reasonable consideration: Ronald Hopkinson, £6. Failed to keep to the left: William Kemon Morgan, costs only. (Before Mr G. A. Nicholls, 8.M.) SPEEDING Clutha Forbes Mackenzie, aged 22, a student (Mr D. M. Palmer), was convicted on charges that on March 2 he exceeded 30 miles an hour on the State highway at the Sockburn overbridge and that he exceeded 55 miles an hour on Blenheim road. He pleaded not guilty to both charges. On the charge of exceeding 55 miles an hour Mackenzie was fined £lO and was disqualified for four months. He was fined £6 on the charge of exceeding 30 miles an hour. Traffic Officer J. Hume said that at 8.40 p.m. he saw a sports car travelling towards Christchurch at an excessive speed. He checked Mackenzie’s speed at the Sockburn overbridge at 45 miles an hour. Mackenzie then accelerated along Blenheim road reaching a speed of 75 miles an hour. DISQUALIFIED

Lester Raymond Robert Garlick, aged 22, a grocer's assistant (Mr M. J. Glue) was convicted, fined £lO and disqualified for a year on a charge of driving a motor-vehicle in a

manner that might have been dangerous in Memorial avenue at 12.45 a.m. on March 13. He pleaded not guilty. A charge that Garlick drove with no lights was dismissed. OTHER TRAFFIC CASES

In other traffic prosecutions brought by the Transport Department convictions were entered and fines imposed as follows, with costs £1 10s on each charge:— Careless use: William Edgar Dron, £l5 (noisy vehicle, £5); William David Dutton, £7 10s; David Lewis Wickins, £lO, disqualified for six months. No heavy traffic licence: Ross Bullock and Company, Ltd., £5 (no certificate of fitness, £5). Failed to stop at stop sign: Clement George Murray Parfitt, £5. Parking offences: Warren Bolton, costs only. Exceeded 30 miles an hour: Roger Harold James Binnie, £7 10s (failed to keep left, £7 10s). Exceeded axle weight: Modern Freighters, Ltd., £5. (Before Messrs E. L. Tinker and J. T. Bisman, Justices of the Peace.) COMMITTED FOR TRIAL On charges of unlawfully taking a 1936 model motor-car valued at £6O on January 5 and January 6, Reginald William Hannam, aged 22, unemployed (Mr R. J. Allan) was committed to the Supreme Court for trial. Francis John Fisher-Van-Der-Veen said the car had been given to him by his father to sell. The defendant was his brother-in-law. He said that early tin January he went to Kaikoura and left the car outside 308 Worcester street. When he returned the car was still there and he had no knowledge of the defendant having taken it in his absence. The defendant had no permission to use the car.

Frederick Fisher-Van-Der-Veen said he reported the unlawful taking of the car to the police on January 6 when he saw it was missing from Worcester street. Next morning it was back on the road. Detective Robert Graham McMeeking said the defendant admitted having taken the car on two occasions. "He said that as far as he was concerned he had done nothing wrong. He had Mr Frank Fisher-Van-Der-Veen’s permission to use it as he was prospectively buying it," Detective McMeeking said. CONVERSION CHARGE Mura Temapu, aged 23, unemployed (Mr L. M. O’Reilly) was committed to the Supreme Court for trial on a charge of unlawfully taking a motor-cycle valued at £7O, the property of Kenneth Ross Lavender, from outside 36 Bewdley street on March 24. He was granted ball. Detective Constable Roger Joseph Kelso said he stopped the defendant in Wainoni road on March 24 when he saw him riding a motor-cycle. The defendant told him he had borrowed the motor-cycle but did not know the owner. When .told he was under arrest the defendant turned and ran down Kerrs road. He was later located by the police but then denied being the person who had taken the motor-cycle.