DRUNKEN MOTORISTS.

Shannon News, 4 May 1926, Page 3

DRUNKEN MOTORISTS.

MAGISTRATE! INFLICTS FINE. “One has only to look at the papers to see that this is a very serious of* fence,’’ said Mr J. L. Stout, S,M., m the Magistrate’s Court at Palmerston North yesterday, when a man named Carter, a farmer, pleaded guilty to having been drunk in charge of a mo-toir car -on the Fi-tzherbert Westroad' on Saturday. Carter also_ admitted further charges that lie drove an unlicsened vehicle, and that he did not hold a motor driver’s license. Senior-Sergeant O’Grady said the three charges arose out of the same set of circumstances. On , Saturday morning a complaint was -received by the police that two ffien were' lying asleep in a car on the Fitzherbert West road. When the police arrived at 11 o’clock, one of the men was trying to start the car. They had been -on a drinking bout during the. night, and had in tlicir possession a halfbottle of whisky and two bottles of beer. HAD TROUBLE WITH, CAR. Mr J. P. Innes. who appeared for defendant, said there were certain mitigating circumstances. Carter was a returned soldier and a married man with a family. He had been wounded and whenever lie took liquor it affected him immediately. He bad had trouble with the car and had been out all night so he went to an hotel to get some liquor. After -breakfast the car went wrong -again and he and his friend, realising it was useless to attempt to drive home, decided to sleep off the effects of the liquor. Before they recovered they were seen. As his client bore a good character and this was his first appearance m Court, he would ask for a light fine. Carter’s companion, Walter Kennedy, a labourer, who- was then called, also pleaded guilty to) being drunk in charge of a motor car. The Senior-Sergeant explained that both men had beep driving the car. Kennedy, who was-ainex-Weraroa hoy, was to appear later on other charges. Kennedy and Cartel' were- each tim'd £5 and costs, in default one month’s imprisonment, Ifor being drunk in charge of the car. Carter was fined £1 and costs en each of the -other two chargee-. OTHER CHARGES AGAINST KENNEDY. Kennedy later pleaded guilty to using a motor cycle without number plates affixed, riding a. motor cycle without holding a driver’s license and t.o riding a mo cor cycle in a manner dangerous to the public. Axconstabl-e esiinated that defendant was travelling at 40- miles' an hour. Mr Stout inflicted a. fine of £1 and costs on the first two charges and of £5 on the third.