DAMAGES AGAINST DETECTIVE

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22435, 23 June 1938, Page 7

DAMAGES AGAINST DETECTIVE

COLLISION ON BRIDGE WIDOW’S CLAIM SUCCEEDS ' (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) WELLINGTON, June 22. A Wellington police detective, Joseph Geoffrey Long, was ordered to paiy £75 general damages and £54 8s 3d special damages by Mr Justice Quilliam in the Supreme Court at Wellington to-day. Charlotte Ella Carter, a widow, of Wellington, proceeded against Long to recover £343 3s 9d damages arising out of a motor-car collision on the Waikanae bridge early on the morning of January 1 last. At the time of the accident, her son was driving the car. A counter-claim for £sl 5s damages incurred in removing and repairing the defendant’s car was made. His Honour, reviewing the evidence, said that the plaintiff's car had approached the bridge at from 18 to 20 miles an hour, and after coming on to the bridge he had a perfect right to assume that the defendant would not attempt to enter on the bridge. He had no doubt about the defendant knowing it to be a one-way bridge, arid he must have had a clear view of the bridge. , . ' “I do not see that the plaintiff could have-done any more than he had done to avoid a collision,” continued his Honour. “The weight of the evidence was that the defendant after the accident did say it was his fault; not that this was material,, as whatever he may have said. I am going to find it was his fault. However, I completely* absolve Long of any-attempt to mislead the Court.” • Judgment was given for the plaintiff on the counter-claim, without costs. . .