FINES AND PENALTIES

Chronicle (Levin), 17 January 1948, Page 4

FINES AND PENALTIES

LEVIN MAGISTRATE'S COURT The January sitting . of the Magistrate'a Court was held in Levin yesterday before Mr. A. M. Goulding, S.M. Pleading guilty by letter to a charge of failing to keep his car to the left side of the road, John Canter Guy, of National Park, was convicted and fine'd £1, with costs '16s. Defendant had been driving south on the Foxton highway and had kept to the centre of the road, said Sergeant W. Grainger. Another car had been forced on to the grass at the verge of the road, and the driver of it ha'd laid a complaint. Sequel to Collision Thi's app'ears to be just one of those matters of inattention which. might - happen to any motorist, commented Mr. Goulding, when convicting Da^vid Hair, of Levin, oh a charge of driving a truck without due care and attention and ordering him to pay 10s costs. Hair had been following another vehicle along Oxford Street, stated Sere-eant Graineer. The other

driver's attention' had been distracted by a pedestrian, who was pointing to a portion of a bicycle ■ pedal lying on the road. The driver had signalled his intention to stop, and Hair, who momentarily took his eyes off the road, had not seen him. A collision had resulted, some 'damage being done ' to both vehicles. Appearing for Hair, Mr. J. P. Bertram, said. he thought that both drivers had had their attention distracted by the pedestrian. Having no warrant of fltness for one of their motor vehicles cost the Manawatu Machinery Com- 1 pany, Palmerston North, 10s with 10s costs. Inspector M. Kehoe stated that he had stopped a light trade vehicle belonging to the de- { fendant company and asked to see the driver's driving licence and the truck's warrant of fltness. The warrant produced had been four months old. Mr. N. M. Thomson, who appeared for the defendants, •said that the company -had an excellent system for checking the warrants of their trucks. How this particular one had failed to be renewed, he could not say. Valentine Richard Mudgway, of Levin, appeared on a charge of failing to stop for a school patrol sign. Inspector Kehoe said that the headmaster of the Levin Public School had reported ,that a car had cro'ssed over the pedestrian crossing against the signal given by the patrol. He had written to the defendant, who had replied, admitting the offence but stating that he thought he had had pfie signal to proceea. JMr. Bertram,' for -defendant, said he thought he had seen the patrol give the "go" signal. A fine of £1, with costs 10s was imposed..