MOTORISTS ON TRIAL

Hokitika Guardian, 31 July 1930, Page 6

MOTORISTS ON TRIAL

SERIES OF CASES

(By Telegraph—Per Press Association.) PALMERSTON N., July 30. At the Supreme Court to-day, John Joseph Evans, farmer, Rongotea, was found guilty of causing .bodily harm while being intoxicated, in chaige of a car. The case was a sequel to the collision between a car driven by ac cused, and a motor cycle ridden by a P. and T. employee, Alfred Hickey, of Fielding, who died in the hospital under an operation five weeks aftei the accident. Sentence was deferred. WELLINGTON, July 30. Leslie Withers, a taxi-driver, aged 21 having apparently taken enoug 1 liqour to make himself quarrelsomely drunk, appeared before Mr Woodward, S.M. charged with assault 1 being intoxicated in charge of a motor car. The story was that his car w . standing at a pump at a service station when a wool buyer name Tartakover drove up and sought its removal, so that he himself could get some “juice”:' Withers came-on the scene and macle ;. himself obnoxious ' pushing TaVtakovbr ' about and' striking him on the hose. ' ' ' / . Withers. lost his license for twelve months, and was fined £6; talso £1 each on charges of' assault • and bad lunfrun-6®* . ~ CHRISTCHURCH, July 30. .qharles Arthur ' Anthony Fletcher, a linker, 44 years of age , Was driving his car 'north afong Colombo' Street. Inspector ‘ Benge ' signalled against him, but Fletcher went on, To avoid a collision he swung in, and passed right over the mat on .which the Inspector was standing. A quick sidestep saved the inspector. This morning Fletcher pleaded guilty to a charge of having been intoxicated in charge of a motor-car. Mr Twyneham said that Fletcher was well known, and was a respectable man. He had been driving a car for five years, and had not had a mishap of .any kind. He had been working from two o’clock in the morning. It: was admitted that he had had three drinks. The weather' was very bad at / the time, and any motorist might have [ mistaken the Inspector’s signal. Fletcher was fined £lO , with costs ■ and Ins license was cancelled. WELLINGTON, July 30.

A plea that if the.,defendant lost his license, he also wpuld be deprived of his livelihood, was advanced by counsel in'the Magistrate’s Court to-day when appearing for Fred Biarnhopse, who pleaded guilty to a charge of being intoxicated while in charge of a motorcar yesterday. Sub-Inspector Lopdell said that a Constable’s attention was drawn to an engine racing in Woodward Street, and he saw .that the driver'of . the cat was having .difficulty. Afteqwlt■•nessing several unsuccessful attempts the .Constable went, over','' Ariel found the accused was intoxicated. He was taken to the. police station, where he was cx[•amined by a. doctor, who certified, that the accused was not in a.,fit state to drive,a car. . ~ , ■ 1 Mr E. .Page, - S.M., fined the. accused

' “I realise’” ' said Mr .Page,, Jn dealing with the question of the license, “that when a man earns his living in a. motor-car, it is a severe penalty to lose liis license for a time, but the offence itself is a serious and dangerous one, aud I propose to cancel his license for three months.”