Magistrate Censures Father Of Boy Driver

Chronicle (Levin), 16 May 1949, Page 5

Magistrate Censures Father Of Boy Driver

DANNEVIRKE, May 12. Strong critieism of the action of a motorist in nllowing his 13-year-old son to drive a motor-ear on a public road was expressed by Mr. A. Coleman, 8.M., in the Magistrate 's Court at Dannevirke, when Johil Edward Ellis, farmer, of Dannevirke, was convictod on a eharge of aiding and abetting Tohn Robert Ellis, an unlicensed driver, to eontrol a motor-vehicle on a public road. Sergeant R. E. . McGettigan, said that the chafge arose as a reault bf an accident at Oringi on January 23. De fendant's ,13-^ar-old son was d'riviug his (defendant 's) car towards Danne vix'ke and when passing a motor-cycle beeame involved in a collision with an on-coming car drivett by a man named Dyson. Defendant had grasped the steering wheel of his car and tried to turn sharply to the right to avoid thCj collision. As the result of the accident defendant 's son had been admitted to the Dannevirke Hospital with a fractured skull, his daughter and defendant himself also suffered in.iury, and the car had become a total wreek. The driver of the other car was also slightly injured. "I was under the impression that as long as I held a driver 's licence I was within my rights to allow someone else to drive as long as I was sitting beside them," said Ellis. "My son is a better driver than I am." "I have listened intently to all that has been said; it seems to be a proper mess up," said the Magistrate. "In' the first place 'the bdy is not old enough to drive and you eould not have had much eonfidence in ' his driving when you grabbed at the wheel. It is a shocking case — see what it has brought on vour own family. "I no ttot want to hear anything nxore about it, " added Mr. Coleman in convieting and fining Ellis £3 and costs 32s.