TWO £10 FINES.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18570, 21 December 1925, Page 8

TWO £lO FINES.

DRUNKEN MOTORISTS. ONE LICENSE SUSPENDED ; ANOTHER ENDORSED. '•You can sec, by the .strained expression on the man's fate, that he has been -worrying over this all night," said Mr W. Y.-Tracy in the presiding Magistrate Olr H. A. Young, S.M.). in the Lower Court on Saturday mornim. at the conclusion of the fuse in whirl' Rieliard Hay Allow, aged « years, merchant, Christchurch. pleaded, not guilty to having been found in a state of intoxication while in charge of a motor-car in Cashel street on Friday. The first witness for the j-ohce was Constable W. T. Spenee, who said that about <3.15 p.m. on Friday he saw the accused in Cashel street trying to start a motor-car. "Witness asked him if the car was his and he answered "Yes, ' and he said he was going to drive it. "He was drunk and I arrested him/' the constable said. "He was holding on to the ear to steady himself!'' "He was Drunk." 'T was wak-hliou.se keciw at the Station when Arlow was brought in, ' said Constable O. Murphy, "and he was drunk. He put his hand round my neck to sit down." Another constable, Edward Wilson, who saw Arlow taken to the Police (Station, said the- man -was. in. his opinion, drunk.. Kvidence was also given by SeniorSergeant F. Lewi)i, who stated that at 7 o'clock on Friday night, when one Mr Seed came to the Station enquiring for Arlow and at ten minutes past 7, in company with Sergeant Almond, he saw Arlow lying on a liench in the lockuu. He made no answer when spoken to, and witness thought he had been drinking whisky. At 8.20 Dr. Louisson came to the station and went to where Arlow was. The accused was awake and said: "I'm ashamed of myself. 1 thought I woke up in bed." The doctor examined, him and put him through various tests, and lastly he asked accused to walk towards him. He was then unsteady on his feet, and, rn witness's opinion, he was still in a state of intoxication. The Defence. In evidence, Arlow said he had had difficulty with his car and had badly blistered his hand in endeavouring to crank it -up. Later he went to his office and then to the 'White Hart Hotel, where he had three drinks of whisky, and left there before six o'clock and went back to his car, where he was accosted by the policeman. " Called for the defence, Dr. Maurice G. Louisson said he saw Arlow in the lockup at aboutß.2o p.m. on Friday, and he was then awake ajid spoke quite rationally and, although he smelt slightly of drink, there weva no signs of intoxication in his speech. But when ho walked he was a little unsteady. Convicted. "I-find defendant guilty," said his Worship. . Mr Tracy pointed l out to his Worship that no danger had been caused the public, for Arlow had not even started his car before he was arrested. "Ho regrets the whole thing very much, ' counsel went on, "and I think he shows that now if you look at him." In fixing the penalty his Worship said he thought it waa a case in which a fine would prove sufficient. Certainly defendant had been cranking the car when he was accosted by the police, but it did nat follow that he would have driven it away. As it was he had not been in the car and 1 no danger was created. Arlow was convicted and fined £lO and costs and his present license was suspended till the end of its termMarch 31st—and ho was disqualified from obtaining another till June 18th, 1926. A New Brighton Dealer Fined, "Guilty," pleaded Allan Foster, aged 35 years, dealer, New Brighton, "Wtio was charged with having been found in a state of intoxication while in charge of a motor-car in George street, New Brighton. Police statements were to the effect that Foster had been seen by a constable driving a motor-car along George street at about a quarter past six o'clock on Friday night; that he was a married man with five children; that he had a list of convictions against him; and that there was no traffic about at the time. Leniency waa asked by counsel for Foster,, Mr A. L. Haslam,-who said his client's wife and family were depending on him for their livelihood. TEe presiding Magistrate (Mr H. Y. Widdowsou, S.M.) said the case did not seem such a bad one this time, but if Foster came before him again' on such a charge he would have to take his license away —for usually a man who was drunk in charge of a car was not fit to hold a license.

Foster was convicted and fined £lO anft costs and his license ivas endorsed.