MAGISTRATE’S COURT Motorists Imprisoned On Intoxication Charges

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27614, 22 March 1955, Page 16

MAGISTRATE’S COURT Motorists Imprisoned On Intoxication Charges

"It aix cases today is a sample of what we are going to get in the future, then penalties may well be increased." said Mr L. N. Ritchie, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday when he sentenced Ronald George Macdonald, aged 29, a farmer, of Cheviot, to imprisonment for seven days for driving a cat while under the influence of drink. Macdonald’s driver’s licence was cancelled and he was prohibited from obtaining another for 18 months. Senior-Sergeant A B. Collinge prosecuted. Accused was represented by Mr G. H. Gould. Dr. F. L. Scott said he had examined accused at 3.50 am. on March 12. He was not a bad case of intoxication but he was not fit to drive. Sergeant R. W. Hope gave evidence of following accused's car west along the south side of Moorhouse avenue at 3.15 a-in. The car was going at about 15 miles an hour and was weaving across practically the whole road. Mr Gould said that accused had gone to a party at Dyers Pass road, and between 9JO on March 11 and 3 am. on March 12 he had consumed four or five glasses of champagne. While fooling at the party accused had had the frame of his spectacles broken. The right lens had remained intact, but the right arm of the spectacles was broken off. He had driven down Dyers Pass road and Colombo street on the way to Latimer square, where he intended to stay. Incapacity due to his broken glasses would have caused the weaving of the motor-car. There had been a delay of an hour and 35 minutes before Dr. Allison saw him, and when the doctor had seen him he thought he was perfectly lit in his spectacles be had distorted vision. He had driven from the party with the broken spectacles but because of their condition he had decided to stay in the city rather than drive as he had originally inDk A J. C- Ailison said that when I he examined accused he was fit to chive, apart gram the fact tSsto’his •kJ** 7J?re broken. & C ha^&n% ey a e March 18, and found a high degree eg abort-sightedness. With only one lens in his spectacles he would have blurred vision if he kept both eyes h’Xa“iSl iXr? itTe* Z2ld bSj vSttWdSbt MM „«f. distances would, be ’’The liquor this man had at this party did have some effect upon-him and - I- murt'-hold-.tfaat - the - evidence stannateo, said tne Magistrate eftterin« a conviction. *! conrider the offence committed by this man even woree than that of a person with normal viaiaa. J am perfectly well aware that the licence- cancellation is going to be a veey graveJdUßbUttr to hWbut if a man drives and drinks and ft it is proved he was affected by the ttHnk he has only himself to. blame." .-, "POTENTIAL DANGER” Leicester Michael Bruce Kidd, aged 34, a farmer, of Amberley (Mr N. Hattaway) pleaded guilty to a charge that on March 12 in Riccarton road he drove a car while under the influence of drink. He was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for seven days, his driver’s licence was cancelled and he was prohibited from obtaining another for 18 months. "You were a potential danger to anyone else on the road,” said the Magistrate sentencing Kidd. “It appears, notwithstanding that the penalty inflicted in the South Island has been increased, that there has been an increase in this offence. Some other form of penalty may well be taken to try to combat this particular TBDCK DRIVER IMPRISONED James Murdock, aged 24, a iMMnt'drtwsr, Ifleaded guilty to driving a ear oa the Main South road at Sockbum on -March IB while under the Influence of drink. He was convicted and sentenced to imprisonment for one week, his driver’s licence was cancelled and he was prohibited from obtaining another for 18 months. Senior-Sergeant Collinge said that at 8 pjn. last Saturday a traffic officer had seen a car go over a compulsory »*op without Stopping and narrowly avoid a contefon with another car. He ignored an order to stop, but was later arrested and was in an advanced state of intoxication when he was brought to Christchurch and certified as unfit to drive. "If we are going to have so many driving while under the influence of

drink—we are getting far too many of them—it may well be that we may have to step up the term of imprisonment," said the Magistrate. MOTORIST FINED Joseph Gerald. Byrne, aged 39, a labourer (Mr W. F. Brown), pleaded guilty to being in charge of a motorcar while under the influence of drink on March 12. He was convicted and fined £l5 and his driver’s licence was cancelled for a period of six months. Senior-Sergeant Collinge said that at 9.45 p.m. a constable had seen accused sitting in his car in Manchester street. He saw him insert an ignition key in the dashboard and when he asked accused what he was doing received the reply: “What does it look like? I’m going home.” The constable arrested the man who was later certified as being unfit to drive. Mr Brown said that Byrne had not intended to drive home, and in fact, had made a suggestion that this be done by the constable. “You should be thankful the officer stopped you from driving because had you driven you certainly would have gone to prison,” said the Magistrate, convicting accused. “You were very intoxicated, according to the doctor.” PROBATION Brian Rudkin, aged 19, a labourer, of Kaiapoi. appeared for sentence on a charge of converting a motor-cycle valued at £167, the property of Raymond Henry Bennett, at Kaiapoi on March 11. Rudkin, who had previously pleaded guilty to the offence, was convicted and admitted to probation for 12 months. DAMAGE TO SHIRT Palelei Lopesi, aged 29, a welder, of Samoa, was convicted and fined £2 on a charge that on March 19 he wilfully damaged a sports shirt, valued at £1 17s 6d, the property of Clarence Harold Gardner. Senior-Sergeant Collinge said that the police had been called to the King George Hotel at 5.45 p.m. on Saturday. Lopesi had tried to get into a taxi, but had been refused by the driver on the grounds of his drunken condition and general behaviour. Gardner had engaged the taxi and climbed in, but was hauled out by ) Lopesi, who tore Gardner’s shirt Lopesi had been convicted only last January of an offence involving Violence. For being found drunk iii Ferry road on March 19, Lopesi was convicted and ordered to pay costs. He pleaded guilty to the charge. NAMES SUPPRESSED A man whose name was ordered not to be published meantime was remanded to March 28 on a charge of theft. He was represented by Mr A. D. Holland. A youth whose name was ordered not to be published was charged with obscene exposure. The case was adjour nel to March 28 for a report from the Child Welfare Officer. The youth was represented by Mr B. McClelland. REMANDED Charles Frederick Fearon, aged 52, a dealer, of New Brighton (Mr D. W. Russell), was remanded to March 28 on a charge of driving a’ truck while under the influence of drink in Pages road on March 19. Bail was renewed in the sum of £25 in accused’s own recognisance. Frederick Charles Price, aged 46, a contractor (Mr J. G. Leggat) was charged that on March 19 he drove a motor vehicle in Fitzgerald avenue while under the Influence of drink. He was remanded to April 4. Bail was renewed in the sum of £25 in accused’s own recognisance. INTERFERENCE WITH CAR Charles Lawrence Rivett, aged 19, a butcher (Mr J. Robertson) was convicted and fined £5 when he appeared for sentence on a joint charge with Herbert Charles Simpson, aged 19, an apprentice carpenter (Mr G. S. Brockett), that on March 7 he interfered with a motor-car, the property of William John Daniel McFauL Simpson was also convicted and fined £5 and in addition was ordered to come up for sentence within 12 months if called upon when he was convicted of a charge of getting Into the car. He was convicted and fined £5 for converting to his own use a bicycle valued at £6, the property of Eric Loose, on March 6. Both accused had previously pleaded guilty to the charges. *