CITY POLICE COURT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24405, 17 September 1940, Page 3

CITY POLICE COURT

| Monday, September 16 I <Before Mr H. W. Bundle. S.M.) Drunkenness Two first offenders, charged with drunkenness, were each fined £l. Intoxicated Motorist James Penman, a coal-miner, of Kaitangata, aged 52. pleaded guilty to being intoxicated while in charge of a motor car.—Outlining the charge. Sergeant Johnsen explained that on Saturday evening, shortly after 6 o’clock, the accused while allegedly travelling at a fast speed down Lookout Point Elill, swerved suddenly to his wrong side of the road and collided with another car. After the accident it was noticed that he was under the influence of liquor, and he was arrested and brought to the Central Police Station, where he was certified as unfit to drive Eleven gallons of beer were found in the car.—The accused Mr Anderson told the court, was suffering from influenza on Saturday afternoon, and he had three medium glasses of beer, the last one about an hour before the accident. He had. he had told counsel, suffered a fainting turn just before his car swerved, and in the circumstances he would have been wiser had he pulled up. Of the beer found in the car. only two gallons were for himself, the remaining nine being for residents of the district who had commissioned him to purchase it for them. Incidentally, the requirements of the Licensing Act in respect of this liquor had been complied with.—Remarking that it was fortunate for the accused that the results of the accident were not more serious, his Worship imposed a fine of £25, with medical expenses (£1 Ist cancelled the accused’s licence, and prohibited him from driving for 12 months Theft of Blanket Stated by the prosecution to have sold a blanket taken from a boardinghouse where she was staying, and used the mosey to buy food, a Hi-year-old girl, publication of whose name was suppressed, pleaded guilty to the theft of the blanket.—Detective Russell told the court that the accused’s home was in the North Island and the case was adjourned until Friday next to allow the police to communicate with her parents. In the meantime she ls ; to remain in the care of the Salvation Avmv. Maintenance William Stewart, charged with default of a maintenance order, was sentenced to three weeks’ imprisonment, the warrant to be suspended conditional on his paying £2 on or before September 23. and 10s a week thereafter until arrears amounting to £25 are discharged. James Alexander Caskie was proceeded against on a claim for a maintenance order. —After evidence had been taken, an .order was granted, maintenance being fixed at 15s a week to December 30. and at 12s 6d a week after that date.