"OBSTINATE" DRIVER

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 136, 25 June 1937, Page 4

"OBSTINATE" DRIVER

-Press. AsBociation. j

Drove Car After Police Took Ignition Key

iBs l'elegraph-

BLENHEIM, Last Night. An unusual story concerning a Marlborough motorist, who went to a garage in town to get his car, and upon learning that the ignition key had been removed by the police, produced a duplicate key and drove his car away, was related in the Police Court to-day. .The motorist, whose name was suppressed, was convicted and fined £5 and costs by J.P.'s on a charge . of driving the car while intoxicated. Sergeant Smyth stated that the ignition key had been removed on receipt of an anolymous message concerning accused's condition. Accused subsequently was arrested outside a shop in the car. He was examiued by two doctors, who agreed he was affected by liquof. If the accused had taken the advice of the police, there would have ibeen no trouble but he had acted in a pig-headed fashion. "The sergeant is quite rigjht. Accused has been pig-head-ed, or rather he was of the bull-dog breed and objected to the removal. of the key from tbe car," 6aid counsel. He contended it was a borderline case. Accused was actually on his way to the police station to seek an explanation for the removal of the key. Counsel claimed that fully 80 per cent. of people who left ciubs and hotels in •jlcnheim, and 50 per cent. of those who left dances were in a less fit state to drive a car than the defendant had been. Sergeant Smyth took exception to counsel's remarks. "As far as Blenheim is concerned, we have produced more drunken drivers than most other towns of the same size, and the offenders have not come from clubs or hotels either. "A case like this is most unfortunate at the present time," the J.P.'s cominented. "The bench has been hauled over the coals by Mr Semple, who has told us we were too lenient in these cases. I've known the defendant for many years, and can quite understand his manner when the key was taken away. Most other people would have done what he did."