A WHISKY JOKE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 715, 15 July 1929, Page 1

A WHISKY JOKE

INTOXICATED MOTORIST SAYS HE WAS VICTIM FINE OF £25 “Any man feeling ‘elated’ must know that if he attempts to drive a car in such a condition, he runs a grave risk of being caught by the police,” remarked Mr. F. H. Levien, S.M., in the Onehunga Police Court this morning, in fining Leonard Henry Nicholson £25 for being intoxicated in charge of a car. Nicholson pleaded guilty, and in extenuation Mr. J. J. Sullivan advanced a novel excuse. He told the court that while accused and a friend were temporarily absent from the bar of the Exchange Hotel in Onehunga on July 1, some of their friends, by way of a joke, filled up their glasses with whisky, with the result that the victims unconsciously drank more than they could cenveniently take. Realising his condition, accused immediately tried to park his car in a side street until he had recovered. Meantime, someone had called the police. Mr. Sullivan also applied for the suppression of accused’s name, stating he was a salesman for a monumental firm. “It’s not a cheerful occupation,” remarked counsel, “but a very remunerative one.” Accused would probably lose his job if his name were published. The magistrate saw no reason for suppressing the name, contending that it did not matter much to buyers of tombstones if the salesman had been convicted for this sort of offence. As it was his first offence and the police had nothing against him, accused would be let off with e fine of £25.