NOT GUILTY

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 113, 10 February 1928, Page 16

NOT GUILTY

ALBERT GOODMAN ACQUITTED UPPER HUTT CASE Yesterday Albert Goodman, of Trenthum, horse trainer, was acquitted of a charge of causing bodily injury to Percy John Aldridge and Norman Parata by negligent driving ot a motor-car on the road to Upper Hutt. The Chief Justice (Sir Charles Skerrett) presided at the trial in the Supreme Court, Mr. P. S. K. Maeassey appeared for the Crown, and Mr. H. J?. O’Leary for accused. Indicating the lines of the' evidence which was to be called by the defence, Air. O’Leary said that Goodman had left his home at Trentham on the day of the accident to go to Mungaroa, where he had a horse grazing, lie had taken with him his head man, McKinnon. At the last minute lie had picked up a man named Black and one Frame, a flax worker, whom he thought would bo remaining at Mungaroa, but who had returned in the ear. Goodman had left Mungaroa at 5 o’clock, returning by a different route. He had gone into a hotel at Trentham to telephone the railway station at Upper Hutt to make arrangements about the shipment cf a horse, but could not get through, and had gone out to his car again to run to Upper Hutt. Goodman’s Story. / Going into the box, Goodman said that his highest speed on the road would •be 30 miles an hour. There was a straight mile of road between the hotel and Upper Hutt, and other than Hazelwood’s car he could see nothing on the highway. He had been about 100 yards behind Hazelwood for some time, and then closed up to half that distance. The car ahead turned to the left, and, thinking that Hazelwood was about to stop, witness had eased up slightly. Then he had turned to the right to pass the leading car. At that moment he could see nothing else ahead of him. Hazelwood’s car swung back again, and forced him further out, obstructing his view, and he had scarcely reached the other vehicle when he saw a motor-cycle flashing upon him. There was no time to avoid a collision. To Mr. Maeassey: He went to both hotels at Trentham in the morning to See various people, and would not say that he had had no drink. Mr. Maeassey: You had a good many drinks in the morning?—“No, I didn’t.” The Car’s Speed. Harold James Gardiner, who had been riding a bicycle on the road, said that Goodman’s car had passed him at from 20 to 25 miles per hour just before the accident. A saddler named Darcy Auckram, said that he had seen two motor-cycles flash past his shop door at Upper Hutt. At that time the motor-cycle, with two riders, was on its wrong side, and both machines seemed to him to be going very fast. Edward Charles Lynn and Michael Black, two schoolboys, said that they had seen a motcr-cycle with two men on it, and that it was travelling fast. After the accident, Black said, Goodman had told Hazelwood that ho was the cause of the accident. Hazelwood had replied: "I swerved to dodge them.” John McKinnon and Michael Black, who had travelled in the car, corroborated Goodman’s story. Evidence was also given by Dr. Frederick William Kemp and Captain Herbert Henry Whyte, commandant of Trentham Military Camp, who said that Goodman was perfectly sober after the accident. * This concluded the case for the defence. ’ The Verdict. The jury retired at p.m., and returned at 5.30 with a verdict of not guilty.