MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 130, 14 March 1930, Page 4

MAGISTRATE'S COURT.

OFFENCES BY A YOUTH. CONVERTED HIS UNCLE'S CAR. DRIVING WITHOUT A LICENSE. The Ashburton Magistrate's Court sat to-day, Mr C. R. Orr Walker, S.M. presiding. . , A youth, Robert Henry Meaclem, cf Ashburton, was charged, on two counts, with having converted a car to his own use, with having driven a car without holding a license, and with having driven an unlicensed motor car. Mr W. H. Woods appeared for defendant, and entered a plea of guilty to all the charges. , Senior-Sergeant H. Martin said that defendant was seen with another vouth, i driving a car "belonging to his uncle. The car had been put in a yard for scrapping, and had not been licensed. Mr Woods said his client had not had the chances other Jads had had, but he was breaking away from certain influences. He was 17 years of age. He said his uncle had given permission to his (defendant's) father to use the car. Defendant had called to ask for the car, but the owner was away, so he took the car, which had no number plates, these having been returned to the Post Office. The Magistrate said.it was a serious thing for anyone to take an unregistered ' car. If a person had been killed by it in an accident there would be no claim, because there was no insurance. . Meaclem was placed on probation for twelve months on the first charge of conversion, a condition being that he refrains from taking intoxicating liquor. On the second charge he was convicted and discharged. On the charge of driving an unregistered car he was fined £5 and 10s costs, and! on the third charge he was ordered to pay 10s.

No Brake on Car. John Henry George Cox, of Ashburton, was charged with haying left a motor delivery van without having applied the hand brake'. He was also charged with having failed to take precautions when leaving an unattended van. Defendant pleaded guilty to the first charge and the other was withdrawn. Senior-Sergeant H. Martin said the engine had been left running and the car had struck a fence of unique design and badly damaged it. The Magistrate said that in the last case of this kind he had dealt with, a young girl had been crippjed for life. Defendant was fined £1 and costs 10s. Unlicensed Motor Cycle. Thomas Ernest Wills was charged with having an unlicensed motor-cycle. Defendant said he was trying out the cycle when the clutch stuck and he went out on to the road. He could not pull it up by the brake before he got on to the road, where he was struck by a car. Senior-Sergeant Martin said that defendant had collided with another motor-cycle, the rider of which was in hospital and likely to be there for some time. Defendant was fined £5 and 10s costs, with 5s witness's expenses. Henry James Francis Cornwall, of Ashburton, was charged with having ridden a motor-cycle when he did not hold a license to do so. The case" arose out of the preceding case. Defendant was convicted and discharged. riving. James Holland was charged with having ridden a motor cycle in East Street in a manner dangerous to the public. He was also charged with having no silencer on liis motor cycle, and with failing to stop when requested to do so. Defendant did not appear. Evidence was given by the .Borough Inspector (Mr J. R. Richardson). Defendant was fined £2, and 10s costs on the.first charge, and his license was cancelled for twelve months, he was fined £5 and 10s costs on the second charge and was ordered to pay 12s costs on the third charge.

Rode on Footpath. The folowing were charged with having ridden cycles on the footpath, and were fined the amounts stated:— Ethel Smith, 10s and 12s costs, Albert Ireland, 10s and 10s costs; Mary A. Long, 10s and 10s costs. . Rode Without Lights. - The following were charged with having cycled without lights:—George Bennett,' 10s and 10s costs; Selwyn Johnson, 10s and 10s costs; Elsie Lorgelev, 10s and 10s costs; William Mitherliuiii, 10s and 10s costs- Tyndall Webster, 10s and 10s costs. Breach of an Act. k Glossop and Timms were proceeded against bv the Inspector of Factories (Mr A. C. Williams), that being the occupiers of a shop they did fail to keep a wages and time book. Mr Drury pleaded guilty to the charge. Mr Williams said that defendants had taken on a boy in February, two years ago, but had not entered his name in the wages and time book. They stated that they were too busy to attend to it. Arrears' due to the boy had been paid. Mr Drury said that his clients had not much excuse. The boy had not been deprived of any money. Defendants were fined £1 and 10s costs. Maintenance Case. The adjourned case of Andrew F. Chapman, on a charge of being in arrears with payments on a maintenance order, was called, and defendant produced a statement showing that he had taken £5 7s 6d in the past four weeks. The Magistrate said the business (wicker-working) was no good to defendant or anyone else. He would have to get some other kind of work. The Magistrate added that he would not make an order. Civil Cases. Judgment for plaintiff by default was given in ench of the following civil cases:—-E. Dovle v. T. Harris, £3 Is 6d with costs £1 10s 6d; same V. M.

Menaglio, £6 and £1 12s 6d costs; same v. A. Harris, £1 19s and £1 0s 6d costs. The following judgment summons cases were also dealt with: — S. J. Beaven was ordered to pay Baker Bros.. Shaw and Fraser £23 7s 6d, iii default 21 "days in gaol, warrant to, be suspended so long as he pays £4 a month. H. White was ordered to pay N. Wilson £6 19s lid in monthly instalments of £l. F Rose was ordered to pav d'A. SL. Grut £27 6s lid, with £1 lis 6d costs, in default 28 days in gaol, warrant to be suspended so Ion? as be pays £2 5s a montn.