"OFF THE ROAD."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 213, 9 September 1935, Page 8

"OFF THE ROAD."

INTOXICATED DRIVER. HIS FOURTH .OFFENCE. « BETTER GET ANOTHER JOB.» "The unfortunate part about this case is that it is defendant's fourth offence for this sort of thing," said Sub-Inspec-tor Fox, in the Police Court thi3 morning, when William Arthur Hawkins, aged 35, salesman, pleaded guilty to a charge of being in a state of intoxication while in charge of a motor van on Saturday night in Dominion Road. Mr. Fox said that about 11 p.m. Constable Wells followed a motor van driven by Hawkins along Eden Terrace and into Dominion Road. The van was swerving from one side of the road to the other, and narrowly missed colliding with a stationary motor car. Hawkins was called upon to stop, and did so. The constable then found that he was intoxicated. Nearly an hour after his arrest Hawkins was examined by Dr. Pettit, who certified that he was unfit to have charge of a motor vehicle. In 1927 Hawkins was fined £15 and his license was cancelled for 12 months. In 1928 he was fined £50 and his license waa cancelled for three years. In April last he was fined £10. "Whatever your Worship now decide 3 to do with him it is evident that he haa no appreciation of the leniency shown io him." said the sub-inspector. Mr. W. Noble, who appeared for Hawkins, said his client was a married man with one child. He had undergone a number of operations during the last few years and on Saturday he was in ill health. Being in great pain he took some gin to relieve it, and the gin went to his head. "He is working for his living driving a van and is only too willing to take out a prohibition order, -, said counsel. "I think he had better get another job," said Mr. Hunt. "He has got to be taken ofT the road. If I don't put him off the road the insurance companies will probably do so. He will be fined £10 and his license cancelled > no other to issue for two years." Hawkins was allowed two weeks in which to pay the fine.