MAGISTRATE'S COURT Cyclist Who Assaulted Traffic Officer Fined £7

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27679, 8 June 1955, Page 8

MAGISTRATE'S COURT Cyclist Who Assaulted Traffic Officer Fined £7

George Richard Marshall, aged 22, a labourer, pleaded guilty in the Magis- 1 trate’s Court yesterday to a charge 1 that he assaulted Charles Schubert , Hansen at Belfast on June 6. He also pleaded guilty to . using obscene language and to riding a bicycle which did not have a front light. He pleaded i not guilty to a charge of not having a < rear red light on his bicycle. 1 Mr L. N. Ritchie, S.M., convicted i him on all tour charges end fined him £7 on the assault charge, £4 on the 1 obscene language charge, and £1 for < not having a front light on his bicycle, i He was ordered to pay costs on the i charge of not having a rear light. , Sub-Inspector F. J. Brady, who i prosecuted, said that at 6.20 pm. Traffic 1 Officer Hansen, of the Transport De- i partment, was driving, a patrol car 1 through Belfast in the direction of i Christchurch when he overtook Marshall, who was on a bicycle. The traffic officer could not see a fail light on the bicycle and he stopped Marshall.' He then saw that there was no headlamp on the bicycle. He obtained Marshall’s name and address from him. When he asked Marshall for verification of these particulars, Marshall threw his bicycle in a ditch, used the : language stated, and made a flying tackle at Traffic Officer Hansen, using his fists at the same time. Both men fell to the ground. A Mr Carter came to ‘ Traffic Officer Hansen’s assistance and held Marshall while the officer called the police. Marshall was handcuffed and brought to the Christchurch Central Police Station. He was affected by liquor. Nothing was known against Marshall, said Sub-Inspector Brady. . “Marshall, an assault on an officer endeavouring to do his duty to you and to the public is a Serious matter.” said the Magistrate. “It may be true that drink played an important part in the affair, and I will take into consideration the fact that you have not been in trouble before, but it Is going to cost you dear." e THEFT FROM SHOP Keir Hardie Robertson, aged 38, a fitter and turner, pleaded guilty to a charge that on June 3 he stole handkerchiefs. socks, a watch, and a pair of glasses, of a total value of £2.185, the property of Woolworths (N.Z.I, Ltd. He was remanded to June 13 for sentence pending a report by the Probation Officer. He was allowed bail in his own recognisance of £25 and one surety of £25 on condition that he reports daily to the police. Detective-Sergeant G. C. Urquhart said that at 8 pm. on June 3 an assistant in the company’s Colombo street shop saw the accused leaving a counter with something under his jacket. She gave the alarm, and the accused was stopped by a member of the staff. The police were called, and the accused admitted taking the articles, but could give no explanation for the theft. He had previous convictions. REMANDED Leonard Noel Forsyth, aged 38, a cartage contractor (Mr H. W. Hunter), was remanded to June 13 on a charge that while under (he influence of drink he drove a motor-car in Cashel street on June 7. He was allowed bail in his own recognisance of £25 and one surety of £25. LICENCE SUSPENDED' William Thomas Collins, a soldier, pleaded guilty to driving a motor-car on the Main South road on April 8 in a manner which might have been dangerous. , He was fined £3 and his driver’s licence was suspended for 28 days. Traffic Officer W. Wilson, of the Transport Department, said he was travelling north along the Main South road at 12.45 p.m. when he saw a car towing a trailer coming towards him. Collins began to overtake this car and trailer. Although he had time to slow down and pull in behind the trailer he elected to come on and he passed witness on the incorrect side. “I was left between Collins’ car and the other vehicle,” said Traffic Officer Wilson. TRAFFIC OFFENCES

The following persons were prosecuted by the traffic department of the Christchurch City Council for breaches of the traffic regulations and penalties were imposed as stated:— Exceeding the speed limit.—Raymond George Barton, £3; Malcolm Lewis Foot, £2; Grosvenor Francis Marsh, £2; Reginald James Mitchell. £3; Alexander Johannes Robeau. £3. Parking over the time limit.—Gordon Sinclair James Atkins, £2; Maurice Raymond Blank, £5; Robert Henry Brockie, 10s; George Robert Forbes, £1; Allan William Franklin, £4; David Gunn, £2; Olive Musgrove, IQs; Nancy Malvina Seay, £2; Bernard Henrlck Sluis, £1; Alexander Smith, £3.

Falling to produce warrant of fitness.—Allan Edward Burgess, £l. Parked in a prohibited area.—Rex Mervyn George Davies, £1; Hanson Jack Home Fraser, £2; Grant Clark Fost*, £l. Obstructing vehicular entrance.— Marjory Young Duncan, £2; Maurice Melville Hampton, 30s. Carrying pillion passenger while restricted to “L” plates.—Barry Grafton, £2. Riding unlighted cycle at night.— Marge Hawkins, £1; Donn Kennedy, £1 (no rear light, 10s); Frederick Edward Meyell, £1; David John Zwartz, 10s. Using unlicensed heavy vehicle.— <p. A. and P. Tucker, Ltd., £3. Not displaying licence label on car.— Walter David Khouri, £3. Failing to stop at compulsory sign.— William Lindenberg, £2; William Lester McDonald, £2 (no driver’s licence, £2). The following prosecutions were brought by the Transport Department:—

Failing to keep to the left of the road. —Neville Arthur Trigg, £2.

Failing to produce driver’s licence.— Leo Cyril Fox, £1; Neville William White, 10s (no warrant of fitness, 10s). No warrant of fitness.—James Leslie Hallberg, £l. DANGEROUS SPEED Barrie Hector Hart, an apprentice, was fined £5 for driving a motorcycle at a speed which might have been dangerous. His driver’s licence was suspended for two months. ! Traffic Officer H. J. McMorran, of the -Christchurch City Council traffic department, said that Hart drove a motor-cycle along Montreal street at up to 45 miles an hour at 12.10 p.m. on April 13. He overtook other traffic and

crossed intersections at 40 miles an hour. A number of people were crossing the road outside one factory when he passed at speed. His excuse was that he was running late.

MOTORIST WARNED Clarence Morgan Davies, a painter, for whom Mr H. S. Thomas appeared and entered a plea of guilty, "was fined £5 for exceeding the speed limit. Chief Patrol Officer P. Lunn, of the Christchurch City Council traffic department, said that Davies drove a motor-vehicle at 43 miles an hour along Buckleys road. “Since 1945 this man has compiled an unenviable record.-It seems that when he gets into a motprvehicle he can’t stick to the rules. He has 10 serious traffic offences besides two other cards of minor breaches. His licence was cancelled previously for speeding, but he has not benefited from that experience,” said Chief Patrol Officer Lunn.

Mr Thomas said that Davies had not been in serious trouble for two years. He had learned something from his previous experiences. Formerly he had been hot headed and rude, but this time he was polite to the traffic officer and did all that was requested of him. There were no through intersections on the part of the road where his speed was checked and he was driving quite safely. The offence was committed at 8 a.m. Davies was a painter in the country and the loss of his licence would go heavily against him. Counsel submitted that Davies’s licence should not b, cancelled, but a stiff fine could be imposed. “I will give him a chance, but tell your client, Mr Thomas, that if he comes here again his licence will go for quite some time,” said the Magistrate. CIVIL CASES (Before Mr Rex C. Abernethy, S.M.) CLAIM OVER HORSES Alan Gabriel Boyd, a coffee, stall proprietor (Mr J. B. Williams), was given judgment against J. Balloch, a logging contractor (Mr B. J. Drake), for £45 7s 6d claimed as owing for working, feeding, and caring for trotting horses! On a counter-claim the defendant wa” given an ordpr for possession of certain chattels or, failing their possession, judgment for £ 15. GRAZING .CHARGES J. B. Patterson, a farmer (Mr G. S. Brockett), claimed £2Ol from Graham Radford and J. R. Henderson, studmasters (Mr D. W. Russell), for grazing the horse Pellirosse. The defendants had paid £j.oo 10s into Court. Judgment was - given for the plaintiff for £135, this sum including the amount already paid into Court.