INTOXICATED IN CAR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 May 1938, Page 9

INTOXICATED IN CAR

SYDNEY DOCTOR SENT TO GAOL. Dr William Barton Jakins, aged 39, was sentenced by Mr Justice Betts in Quarter Sessions at Sydney on April 13 to 12 months’ imprisonment, with hard labour. Jakins had been found guilty of having driven a motor-car at Sutherland on January 12, while he was under the influence of liquor, and causing actual bodily harm to Mrs Frances Pudsey-Dawson. His Honour, in pronouncing sentence, said the case was extremely painful, and had given him much worry. No doubt the accused had suffered severe punishment already, and his conviction would probably have serious effects upon his professional career. But when a man was convicted of drunken driving it was His Honour’s bounden duty to make an example of him. Mr H. R. Hunt (for the accused) said that in many accident cases magistrates inflicted fines and cancelled drivers’ licences. In this case the injured woman had now completely recovered, and he suggested His Honour might take the lenient course of binding the accused over and dealing with his driving licence. His Honour: “In view of the prevalence of this kind of offence I do’ not agree with the practice of magistrates. I think offenders must be taught a sharp lesson, which will make them realise the serious consequences of driving motor vehicles when intoxicated. It appears to me that there has been too much sentimentality and that the law has not been enforced as it should be. It is a dreadful thing to have to inflict sentence of imprisonment on this unfortunate gentleman, who had a brilliant scholastic preparation for his professional career. In imposing the sentence it is some consolation to know that there is a Criminal Appeal Court.”