INTOXICATED IN CHARGE

Chronicle (Levin), 4 October 1947, Page 4

INTOXICATED IN CHARGE

— HEAVY FIN'E FOR, SHANNON motorist If it had not been for the fact that defendant had a large family dependant • on him, he would not hesitate in sending him to. prison, said Mr. * A. M. Goulding, S.M., ifi the Magistrafe's Court, Levin, • yesterday when Joseph Trembath, builder, of Shannon, appeared before him ehaYSbh with bei'ag in charge of a motor yehicle while .in a state oj into^ieation, and drfving a motor vehicfe without a licence. On the" first charge he was fined £50 and on the second ^l. Court costs amounted to 10s in ea.ch case and a. doctor's. fee of £f ls was afiowed. When imposing the fines, Mr. Goulding. advised defendant to take out a prohibition order. Sergeant W. Gra'inger sa.id that defendant. had been before the court on September 20, and had been remanded on bafi. On September 19 defendant's car had be.en seen p.arked near an hotel. Later Constable Watson had seen defendant dr-iving the vehiole near Makerua,.- Defendant had been obviously in a state of intoxication. Bo.th the eonstable and traflDc inspector- had tafied defendant, 's ear for five uiiles. before they considered it safe to stop him. In their opinion his condition when he stepped out of the ear was very bad. At the police station a doctor had certified him as being unfit to drive. Defendant had had two previous eonvictions, added Sergeant Grainger. His licence had been previ,ously cance'lled aryl again in March of this year he had been disqualified from driving for three years.

Appearing for defendant, Mr. J. ,P. Bertram entered a plea of guilty en behalf of bis olient. Drink was apparently the eause of defendant's troubles, he said. His wife and seven children were resident in Palmerston North, and defendant visited' them at week- , ends. During the rest of the week he stopped at an hotel. After the eancellation of his licence, defendant had left the driving of the vehiele to an employee, but on this occasion he had to go into town i for some urgent messages, and drove the car himself as his assistant was busy on a job. He had stopped a while at the hotel. ! Being a builder, defendant was i very busy a.t present, and had some Ivery urgent work on hand, con- ! tinued Mr. Bertram. Defendant . i was willing to take out a voluntary i prohibition order, and as living at the hotel was naturally a temptation he would seek other aceommodation. In all other respects he was a good worker and citizen. fmpo.sing the fines, Mr. Goulding said that as defendant's licence was already cancelled he could not cancel it again, but would add a further three years to the disqualification, the . licence to be restored then only after a court order had been obtained.