COMMITTED FOR TRIAL.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20624, 13 August 1932, Page 19

COMMITTED FOR TRIAL.

LORRY-DRIVER CHARGED.

FATAL OMIHI ACCIDENT. - i On a charge of negligently driving a motor-lorry, thereby causing the death | of Henry William Hamilton. Shaw at Omihi on July 23rd, Abraham Leonard Talbot was committed yesterday to the Suprema Court for trial. The case was heard at Amberley, before Mr H. P. Lawry, S.M. The accused, who was not represented by counsel, entered a plea of not guilty. Constable J. Kennedy conducted the case for the police. John Lewis, a relief worker, of Happy Valley, gave evidence that on July 22nd he went with Shaw, Wormaid, and Talbot to a dance at Scargill. A five-gallon jar of beer, procured previously by Shaw, was taken in the lorry to the dance. Witness did not see Talbot drink any of tho beer. ,

Doctor's Evidence. Br. F, T. Birkenshaw, who arrived at the scene of the accident at about 3.45 a.m., said that Shaw had suffered a broken neek, fractured base of the skull, and a broken nose. It seemed that ho had fallen from the lorry on to the point of his left shoulder. Witness would not like to say from a Police Court point of view whether accused was sober or drunk. He would put it that Talbot was the most sober of the three, and had possession of his faculties. Lorry Left tho Eoad. Constable James Kennedy said the lorry had turned off the road near the crossing, 28 yards from the cattle-stops. It ran through the c&ttle-stopa, carryr ing part of them away, also a length of fencing, and Tan down a dip before stopping. Where the lorry left the road there were skid-marks, but no brake marks. Witness declared that if the truck had been doing 15 to 20 miles an hour, it would not have crossed the stops. It must have been travelling at 30 to 35 miles an hour to get where it did. To accused, witness said the lorry was throttled down to do no more than 55 miles an hour. Accused was allowed bail at £2OO. with one surety of £2OO or two of £IOO each.