BOTH EQUALLY LIABLE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 31, 7 February 1939, Page 5

BOTH EQUALLY LIABLE

TWO MEN FOUND INTOXICATED IN CAR. THIRD OFFENDER GAOLED. WELLINGTON, Feb. 4. Found by the police in a thre«seater car at Petone last evening and afterwards certified as unfit to drive a car, Jeremiah Dwyer, aged 26 yeara, and Donald Webb, aged 21 years, both of Wellington, were adjudged guilty by Mr. Goulding, S.M., to-day, of being intoxicated in charge of a car. According to the police the car was an old model started by means of a self-starter and ignition switch, not by a key. Neither accused had a license to drive and both stated that they had no knowledge of driving a car. The magistrate remarked that the men were near the controls of the car operated by the ignition switch only. In such case it was impossible to distinguish between the two men and both must be held equally liable, despite the fact that the owner of the car had explained that he left the men in the car while he was paying a visit.

Each man was convicted and fined £2 and ordered to pay expenses. A sentence of 14 days’ imprisonment with hard labour was imposed on Frederick Henley-King, aged 32 years, employed as a batman at Fort Dorset, charged with intoxication in charge of a car at Petone last evening. He was found by a traffic inspector slumped over the wheel of a parked car.