Intoxicated Driver Loses Licence And £20

Chronicle (Levin), 5 October 1948, Page 2

Intoxicated Driver Loses Licence And £20

When a mo.tor car left the main highway near Otaki during the weekend it crashed through a fence and finishe!d up in a 'ditch. The driver of the ve'nicle, Freder- 1 ick Bert Nicholson, flnishdd up in, the Police Colirt, Otaki, when he. pleaded guilty yesterday morning to a charge of being intoxicated while in charge of the vehicle. Sergeant Groves told the bench, Messrs. H. J. Jepson and W. McBeth, J.P's., that accused had been taken to a "doctor by the district traffic inSpector and had been certified as being under the influence of liquor. He had still been under the influence of liquor when taken to the Police Station. He had adopted an abusive manner. There .had been two other occupants in the vehicle, one of whom had been badly cut about the face and had received medical attention. The injuries, however, were not serious. Accuse'd 'had not been before a court before. Entetirrg a piea of guilty on behalf of accused, Mr. B. H. Rhodes said that it was not a "grossly bad" case. Accused had kept a's close as practicable to the left-hand si'de of the road and there had not been any traffic in the vicinity of the area where 'he "came to grief." He had previously had a good record and appe'aled for the retention by accused of his driving licence on the grounds 'that his appearance was a sufficient punishment. He also asked'for a light flne. Accused was convicted and fine'd £20 and had his licence cancelled for 12 months. Medical expenses of £1 were a'dded.