"BECOMING FREQUENT."

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18287, 22 January 1925, Page 5

"BECOMING FREQUENT."

INTOXICATED MOTORIST SENTENCED. IMPRISONMENT IMPOSED.

"One cottl4 not imagine anything more dangeron* than a person driving a motor-car when drunk. . • • Tins fcind of offence is becoming frequent," said Mr "Wyvern "Wilson. S.M., in the Magistrate's Courf yesterday, when he convicted and sentenced Lionel Charles Burke, a commercial traveller, aged 42 years, to seven daye> imprisonment on each of three charges (to •which he pleaded guilty) of having driven a motor-car when ill a state pf intoxication, having resisted arrest) unit used obscene language. Senior-Sergeant F. Lewin. who prosecuted, eaid that at. about. 5 o'clock on (Tuesday evening accused was seen in his car iu a drunken state in Gloucester street, near the Theatre Royal. The police were communicated with, but by the timo the constable arrived on the scene accused had driven tho car Orptind into Manchester streets .Tust Us lie lieared the intersection of Manchester and Worcester streets he collided with a young lady on a bicycle and knocked iier down. Fortunately slip was not pcripusly injured, and accused offered to drive her home. How* ever, she refused because he was drunk. Burke then drove along to the KaJlway Hotel, where the constable, who had followed him, accosted him in the private bar. Accused wanted to light the constable, and resisted arrest. A salesman for the Todd Motor Company iirst Baw the car standing in front of tho Theatre Royul. and when he noticed the accused* going .to start the engino up he warned Burke to be careful, because lie was intoxicated. Accused Bwore at the man and drove away.

lii outlining extenuating circumstances, Mr R. Twynoham, who repreBonted Burke, suicl that lie knew the policy of the Court was to impose imprisonment in such eases, but he asked Jiis Worship to be lenient. Accused, lie said, ivas a married man with a wife and nine children to support. The ages of the children ranged from 10 years down to two years, and he was the sole support of seven of them and Ills wife. By occupation he was a commercial traveller employed by a "Wellington firm. For five or six months liq had driven a car, ho possessed a certificate of ability, and was an efficient driver. On Tuesday afternoon he drank a few shandies, but lie was not drunk when he started his car in Gloucester street. Apparently ii only affected him about tlio time the accident happened. He had no recollection of having used the language. Until the constable accosted him in the private bar and attempted to arrest him lie did not know that ho had committed any offence, and lie naturally "lost his head a bit" when the policemau laid hands on him. If could bo Haid in his favour that at the time of the accident ho was not travelling fast. . The Magistrate said that it had always been the policy of the law to regard drunkenness a much more-serious offence when the person was in charge of a motor-car. The new Act made the maximum penalty for such an offence £IOO, or three months' imprisonment. There were no mitigating circumstances in the case, excepting that the prisoner had not driven his car at a fast rate of speed. However, he had a wife and children to support, and for that leason alone ho would make the sentence light.

Accused was then convicted and sentenced o,u each charge, tho sentences to be concurrent.