AFTER SIX YEARS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 21, 25 January 1930, Page 10

AFTER SIX YEARS.

"WIZARD" SMITH PROSECUTED

CHARGE DISMISSED,

■/A charge of driving to ,tfic danger of the public at Huntly oh March 13,, 1924, was. laid yesterday at the Huntly Court against Norman ("Wizard") Smith bebefore Mr. Woodward, S.M. . After hearing the evidence the. magistrate, dismissed the charge, saying that there was no evidence that Smith drove the car about which the witnesses spokei Mr. G.{' ; W. Clayi?, for the defence, objected-to• the", long delay which had taken place'in dealing with the charge, and suggested that the police had been excessively zealous. Defendant, counsel said, was in New Zealand, for three weeks after the alleged offence, and was back again in the Dominion for six or seven weeks in 1927.; He should -have been served with a summons long before; Had the police case been a strong one, [defendant would have been pjaced at a great disadvantage in defending it oh account of the delay. Any witness he; may have wanted to call may not have been available. ' Mr. Woodward said that the police probably regretted ; having to prosecute Smith, but they had, to do their duty. : Mr. Clavis said; that, the police should have no personal discrimination but should have done their duty long2ago; ;