TOO-GALLANT HOST

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 136, 6 December 1939, Page 13

TOO-GALLANT HOST

BORROWED TAXI FOR GUESTS

A "distorted sense of humour" which led a young man named Sydney William Jarvis, aged -20, to commandeer a taxi in order to take two girls home after a party had its reward in the Magistrate's Court, today, when he was fined £10, in default one month's imprisonment, for the offence.

The police prosecutor, Sub-Inspector E. T. C. Turner, said that the car, valued at £268, was owned by John James McGoldrich, an employee of New Zealand Cabs, Ltd., and had been left outside the office at Kilbirnie while McGoldrich was absent having his supper.

When arrested the defendant told the police that he had held a party in his room and six bottles of beer had been consumed. About 1 o'clock in the morning the party broke up and the defendant went out to find a taxi to take two girl guests home. He saw the taxi in the street, but was unable to attract the driver's attention, .and, after, waiting for about twenty minutes he decided to "take the law into his own hands" and commandeered the vehicle;. He then drove the young women into the city and returned to Kilbirnie, leaving the taxi about two blocks away from his home in an undamaged condition.

The defendant had been charged at Dunedin in October with brealcing, entering, and theft, and had been placed oh probation for two years.

Mr. R. Hardie Boys, who appeared for Jarvis, declared that the defendant had been prompted by a foolhardy impulse. He had sounded the car horn, but had been unable to attract attention. His somewhat distorted sense of humour had led him to commit the silly offence. He submitted that ■ the case was somewhat dissimilar from the usual type of car conversion offence and he asked that leniency should be extended to the defendant The car had not' been damaged and it had, moreover, been returned to close to the place from, which it had been taken.

Fourteen days were granted for the payment of the fine.