ASLEEP IN BACK SEAT

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 143, 5 July 1937, Page 4

ASLEEP IN BACK SEAT

Intoxicated Driver Who Pulled Up FINE OF £10 1MP0SED "You apparently had. the safety of the public in mind when you took this action, and realised that you should not be drivingi, said Mr J. Miller S.M., to Qyril William. Fisher, of Dannevirke, plumber, who pleaded guilty in the Napier Magistrate's Ooui*t this morning to .being intoxicated in charge of a car iu Napier on Saturday. Defendant was found asleep in the baek seat of the vehicle. A fine of £10, with £1 2/6 costs, was imposed, Senior-Sergeant W. Pender conducted the prosecution, and Mr H, Le Pine appeared in defence. • "Shortly after one o'cloek on Saturday afternoon the attention of the borough traffic inspector, Mr A. 1VI, Qiiver, was drawn to the fact that there were two men asleep in a car in George's Drive," said the senior-ser-geant. "He found the defendant and a oompauion asleep in the car, the defendant being in the back seat and his companion in the front, althougih not in the driver' s seat. "He woke them up, and defendant admitted that he had driven the car, and that they had had five stouts on an empty stomach. Both were in a state of intoxication.'5 The Magistrate: It is in his favour that he pulled up. Mr Le Pine explained that the defendant, who had arrived at Napier late in 'the evenifig, had been nnable to accomanodation and had been f orced to sleep in the car . Gn Saturday morning the stout had been taken on an empty stomach having more efiect than usual. "I hope this will be a lesson to yQUj" said the Magistrate in addressing the defendant. "It is a most serious offence, and one in which almost invariably ihe driver's licence is eancellecl. However, you did , tlie „ oorrect thingj and were so intoxicated that you realised you should not be driving, At the same time I can't overlook the faot that you took a risk before you stopped. "I do not intend to cancel your licence because of the action you took," he concluded. An order was made endorsing the defendant's licence.