FOUND GUILTY

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 672, 26 October 1933, Page 5

FOUND GUILTY

(Press Assn.-

negligent driving four deaths caused in 1 t collislon with train ■ RECOMMENDED TO MERCY

-By Telegraph — Copyright).

Wellington, Wednesday. Guilty, with a stf ong recommendation to mercy, was the jury's verdict in the Supreme Conrt in the case of Stanley Lincoln, driver of a motorcar which crashed into a train on the Porirua crossing on the night of May 21 last. The charge, whiqh was heard before the Chief Justiee, Sir Michael Myers, was that of negligent drivi'ng so as to cause the death of foUr persons. Those killed in the accident, which occurred when Lincoln was driving his car back to Palmerston' North, were Mrsi Lincoln, her four-year-old daughter, Mr. Francis Lenagaskih and Miss Enwright, all of Palmerston North. "Negligence is nothing more or less than a breach of one's duty to take all reasonable care in the handling of a motor-car," said the Chief Justiee, in his summing up. "Aceused said that he knew the crossing and that it' was a, compulsory stopl He. did not do this, but went on at about 25 miles an hour. If that is not negligence, I do not know what is:" On the jury returning a verdict of guilty with -a strong reeommendation to mercy, Sir Michael Myers said that it was entirely in accordance with his own view of the matter and that he would remand accused for sentence until Friday so as to give the fullest consideration to the jury's rider.