MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 129, 18 February 1918, Page 6

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Mr S E M'Carthy, S.M., presided over "a sitting of the Magistrate's Court on Saturday. William Woods, 59 years of age, was charged with behaving in a disorderly manner in C.ourteiiay Place. Sub-In-spector Emerson said the man was an old offender. While drunk about 6.45 p m. lie was shouting at the top of his voice and annoying those passing by. Woods explained that he was wet and cold and he had two glasses ot whisky. The Magistrate: When the whisky went in your wits went out. Woods'was sentenced to a months imprisonment. Ruby Kirk, an old offender, who was arrested for- drunkenness, was fined £3, in default seven days' imprisonment. TAXI AM) TRAMCAR, Thomas Connolly', a taxi-driver, for whom Mr. A. W. Blair appeared, was charged with negligently driving his car at Island Bay, whereby a collision with a tramcar occurred. According to the evidence there were four adults and five children in the taxi, and as a tramcar was pulling up at. Island Bay the taxi ran into the tiamenv. A woman passenger in the taxi, had a. shoulder dislocated and badly bruised, and a child had its skull fractured. A certain amount of damage was done to the tramcar, and the taxi was also damaged. The defence was that tho collision was .due to a purp accident owing to a sudden defect developing in the steering-gear. A great deal of evidence was taken on both sides, and the Magistrate accepted the theory put forward by tho defence and dismissed the information, Mr. J. O'Shea, City Solicitor, appeared for the City Corporation.