Found licence on bar floor

Taupo Times, Volume 20, Issue 5, 21 January 1971, Page 5

Found licence on bar floor

After finding a driver's licence on the floor of a public bar in a Taupo hotel, a 21-year-old millhand decided to keep it and alter the address for his own use because he thought that his own licence was still the subject of disqualification, the Taupo Magistrate's Court was told on Tuesday.

Ian Walter Rutherford, of Taupo, was appearing before Mr M. C. Astley, S.M., on four charges involving the theft of. the licence, forgery and uttering the licence while he knew that it was a forgery. Rutherford pleaded guilty to all charges. Senior Sergeant R. Moncur said that on December 14 Rutherford was about to leave the hotel bar when he noticed the licence lying on the floor and picked it up. The licence had been issued by the Lower Hutt City Council to Laurie John Carkeek, of Naenae. Rutherford decided to keep the licence as he thought that he was still serving a period of disqualification for a previous offence. EXPIRED However Rutherford 's term of disqualification had expired in March, 1970. Rutherford altered the address in the licence to Roberts Street, Taupo. While driving at Mt Maunganui on a subsequent date Rutherford was stopped by Traffic Officer Andrew Donald Lochore, produced the forged licence and subsequently accepted a summons for a driving offence in Carkeek's name. On ' another occasion in Taupo Rutherford was stopped by Traffic Officer Garry Girvin Frear and again produced the forged licence. Rutherford told the police he thought that he was still subject to a disqualification

period with his own licence and thought that he would drive with the other licence. Investigations revealed that Rutherford 's disqualification period had expired several months previously. % DETENTION Mr Astley made the observation that only last year Rutherford had served a period in a detention centre for forgery. "You thought you were a « disqualified driver and you were prepared to drive as a disqualified driver," he said. After reading a probation officer's report Mr Astley fined Rutherford $10 on each charge with court costs of $5 in each case.