THREE WEEKS' GAOL

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 82, 4 October 1938, Page 13

THREE WEEKS' GAOL

INTOXICATED DRIVER

A SECOND OFFENCE

A gaol sentence was imposed upon Robert Rennie King, a hotelkeeper and salesman, aged 46, who appeared before Mr. J. L. Stout, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court today, charged with being intoxicated in charge at a car in Murphy Street. Senior-Sergeant D. J. O'Neill prosecuted, and Mr. W. P. Rollings appeared j for the accused, who pleaded guilty. At 1.45 p.m. yesterday, said SeniorSergeant O'Neill, a constable observed the accused driving a motor-car along Molesworth Street towards the Princess Hotel. At 2.20 p.m. he saw the car parked outside the hotel, and at 3.20 p.m. it was still parked there. About five minutes later he saw the accused leave the hotel, noticeably unsteady on his feet, and seemingly intoxicated. As the constable approached him he let the car run down Murphy Street on the grade in gear in an attempt to start it. The car stopped after travelling about fifteen yards. The constable spoke to the accused, and found that he was in an advanced stage of intoxication. His breath was alcoholic, and when asked to get out of the car and walk he did so in a very unsteady manner. At the police station, said the SeniorSergeant, the accused was examined by Dr. Shirer, and the examination revealed that he was grossly intoxicated, and was not fit to walk or drive. He had been previously charged with being intoxicated in charge of a car in April, 1932. COUNSEL'S STATEMENT. Mr. Rollings said that the accused had instructed him that, although no doubt the constable saw the car outside the hotel at three separate times, he was not there the whole time, but had been away for a period and had gone back. It was a sad case, said Mr. Rollings. The accused was at the war from August, 1914, until February, 1919, and could not do any heavy work as a result. He had contracted malaria in Egypt, and he had no permanent position. It was his wife's car he was driving, and he had unfortunately had a few drinks earlier in the day, and then at the hotel, where he stayed too long. The previous offence was six and a half years ago, said counsel, and his client might be considered to have lived that down.

The offence was on the increase in spite of the heavy penalties imposed by. Magistrates throughout the country, said Mr. Stout. It was the accused's second offence.

King was convicted and sentenced to 21 days' imprisonment with hard labour, his licence was cancelled, and he was debarred from obtaining another for a further period of two years. v-