DRUNKEN DRIVER.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18265, 26 December 1924, Page 8

DRUNKEN DRIVER.

MOTOR MECHANIC IMPRISONED

In the Magistrate's CouTt on "Wednesday, Henry Stanley, a motor mechanic, 27 years of age (Mr A. J. Malley), pleaded guilty to a charge of having been found drunk while in charge of a motor-car ia Tapanui Toad, St. Albans, on Tuesday. The evidence of the. police was to the effect that at about 2.5 o'clock on Tuesday afternoon a constable arrested tho accused on Papanui road. Ho was in a drunken condition, and was trying to start a motor-car, which was at an anglo across the road. Nothing previously was known, about him. • In outlining mitigating circumstances, Mr Malley said that Stanley was a first-rate motor mechanic. He devoted the whole of his time to "tinkering" with the mechanism of motor-cars, and ho was probably the best mechanic in G'hristchurch. On Tuesday morning he had received instructions to repair the car of a certain business man in the city, and in the afternoon he was driving along I'apanui road in the car when, in endeavouring to dodge another motorcar, he swerved and struck the sidechannel, and had considerably damaged tho car, for which he would have to pay. Wheu the policeman arrived on the.scene he found the accused intoxicated and a bottle of beer in the car. There was no doubt that Stanley was drunk, for earlier in the afternoon he had met a few friends and had imbibed rather freely at a wayside inn. He asked the Bench to extend all the leniency it possibly could to the accused.

The Bench said the fact that Stanley was a first-class motor mechanic did not alter the position. He had been found drunk in charge of a car, and that was a very grave otl'euee. Accused was convicted and sentenced to one month's imprisonment.