INTOXICATED DRIVER

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27444, 2 September 1954, Page 12

INTOXICATED DRIVER

LICENCE SUSPENDED FOR THREE YEARS (New Zealand Press Association) HAMILTON, September 1. A motorist who was alleged to have offered handfuls, of money to a traffic officer who arrested him, and later to a doctor who examined him, was convicted and fined £5O by Mr W. H. Freeman, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court at Huntly today after he had admitted driving a motor-car while under the influence of drink. He was Robert Emmett Burrows, a car salesman, of Devonport (Mr M. Robinson).

Sergeant W. H. Cromwell said that the accused was arrested by Traffic Officer Birse, who had followed his car and seen it veering from one side of the road to the other. Burrows was found to be in an advanced state of intoxication, and had offered the officer money. He was examined by a doctor and certified as not being fit to drive. The accused had been convicted for the same type of offence in 1950, Sergeanl Cromwell said. Mr Robinson said that _ Burrows suffered froin a heart condition, and was subject to attacks. He took pills when he had an attack, and usually took them with a drink of brandy. He had Experienced an attack not long before his arrest, and had taken too much liquor with the pill. The Magistrate: Did you say he offered handfuls of money to the traffic officer? Sergeant Cromwell: Yes. He also handed handfuls of money to the doctor. The Magistrate (to Mr Robinson): I suppose now he will be handing handfuls of money to someone else. In addition to imposing the £5O fine the Magistrate prohibited Burrows from holding a tjriving licence for three years.