CITY POLICE COURT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22986, 15 September 1936, Page 4

CITY POLICE COURT

Monday, September 14 (Before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M.) DRUNKENNESS Two first offenders for drunkenness were each fined 10s, in default 24 hours' imprisonment. ON LICENSED PREMISES Roy Arundel, Maurice Sparrow, Alister Stronach, Joseph Arthur Sparrow and Stanley Edwin Omand, who were represented by Mr I. A. Turnbull, were charged with being found on licensed premises after hours.—Senior Sergeant Packer stated that the police paid a visit to the hotel at 8.25 p.m. on Saturday and found seven men drinking beer in the bar. t The licensee was present, and his daughter was serving behind the bar. The hotel was a difficult one to get into, and the sergeant had had to go round the back. The defendants were each fined 10s, with costs (3s). CHIMNEY ON FIRE For allowing a chimney at his residence to catch fire Archibald M'Laren was fined ss, with costs (3s). ADMITTED TO PROBATION Louis Gordon Henri (Mr G. T. Baylee) appeared for sentence on a charge of theft.—The probation officer (Mr J. Garbutt) said that the question of the accused’s employment and associates should be under cc-.itrol. —The accused was admitted to probation for a period of two years, restitution to the value of £2 10s to be made. The magistrate instructed the probation officer to supervise the accused’s employment and associates. INTOXICATED MOTORIST William Gordon Howjohns, who was represented by Mr M. Hanan, pleaded guilty to a charge of being intoxicated in charge ox a car.—Senior Sergeant Packer said that at 4.45 p.m. on Saturday the defendant, who was returning from the football test, ignored Inspector Cameron’s signal to stop. He was later stopped, when he was found to be in a state of intoxication. He was not driving erratically when he first came under the inspector’s notice, but when arrested was unfit to be in charge of a car. The defendant was a garage proprietor at Omakau.—Mr Hanan said that no damage had been caused to property or persons, and the defendant had safely negotiated his car out of the traffic congestion at Carisbrook, which showed that his normal faculties had not been impaired. He had come from Omakau and had not had any food or sleep, factors which probably contributed largely to his condition. He was a stranger to Dunedin and was ignorant of the stringent traffic laws in the city. The defendant was willing to take out a prohibition order, but if his licence were cancelled he would be forced to go out of business. —The magistrate stated that a man who dealt with cars as a business should abstain from drinking when in charge of a vehicle. The circumstances might be exceptional, but they generally were in such cases. The defendant was fined £2O, with medical expenses (£1 Is), his licence was suspended and he was prohibited from driving for a period of 12 months. Time was allowed to pay the fine. SEQUEL TO ACCIDENT Robert Graham (Mr G. M. Lloyd) pleaded guilty to a charge of being intoxicated in charge of a car. —Senior Sergeant Packer said that the defendant, who was a travelling draper, collided with the iron standard at the Stock Exchange safety zone at 1.25 on Sunday morning. Constable Clark, who heard the noise, found him in a muddled condition, the defendant believing he was in the Octagon. He was not in a fit state to drive a car. His licence was under the name of Goodchild.—Mr Lloyd said that the defendant repeated his statement about being in the Octagon at a later dale, and it was probably a case of mistaking the locality. The visibility was bad at the time, and he had had to use the hand screen wiper on his car. He had spent the evening playing cribbage with some friends and had had two glasses of beer. At the age of 20 years he had left home because of domestic trouble, and had changed his name to Graham. Four years ago he had been reconciled with his family, but his car licence was in the name of Goodchild. although the name on the registration papers was Graham. A motor car was essential to his business, and counsel asked that the defendant be treated leniently.—The magistrate said he would take into consideration that the defendant was of good character, but the outstanding fact was that he was rather badly intoxicated while driving. The defendant was fined £2O, with medical expenses (£1 Is), and his licence was cancelled for 12 months. He was allowed time to pay the fine.