Young Man Fined £20 On Driving Charges

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27896, 18 February 1956, Page 12

Young Man Fined £20 On Driving Charges

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

A young man was fined £2O and his driving licence was cancelled for six months, when he pleaded guilty in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday to three charges relating to an accident on November 5. He is Vincent Francis Mora, who was charged that he failed to give way to the right on Shirley road; that he failed to stop after an accident; and that he failed to report an accident to the police. Another young man, Walter Campion. charged with aiding and abetting Mora in the commission c " an offence —failing to stop after an accident—was convicted and fined £l5 by Mr Rex C. Abernethy. S.M.. who was on the Bench.

Sub-Inspector C. H. Reardon said that at 8 p.m. on November 5 a woman was riding her bicycle south along Hills road, Shirley. Her bicycle was lighted. As she approached the intersection of Warrington street and Shirley road she was struck by a car that failed to give way to the right, and she was thrown to the ground. A witness of the accident saw the car slow up and then speed away. This witness enlisted the aid of another man with a car. and they gave chase.

The driver of the first car kept turning into side streets in an endeavour to shake off pursuit, said Sub-Inspec-tor Reardon. The number of the car was taken, and a little later the car was stopped. Campion, who was in the back seat, .said that that car was not the one involved, as it had just come from the city. Mora, who was in the driving seat, did not leave the car.

On November 7, the police examined a car belonging to Campion, said Sub-Inspector Reardon. They found a dent in the front left mudguard and some scratch marks, and it was obvious that some attempts had been made to erase these. Campion was interviewed on November 7, and was very unco-operative. He said the car had been scratched on a visit to the West Coast. He said that Mora was the driver of the car on November 5, as he (Campion) was disqualified from driving at that time. When Mora was interviewed on the same day, he admitted that he had been the driver. He said that a passenger in the rear told him he had collided with a cyclist, but Campion told him to drive on. Mora’ had been most co-operative, said Sub-Inspector Reardon. Mr B. S. McLachlan, who appeared for Mora, agreed* with the facts as presented. He said that something was apparently said by Campion to Mora to keep going, and Mora kept going. Mora now realised he was extremely foolish, anr’ was thoroughly ashamed of himself. Campion said that at the time of the. accident he had had too much to drink. The Magistrate a* ourned the Court to the afternoon to fix the penalty. In giving judgment, the Magistrate said that both Mora and Campion must now realise that thev had done a dastardly thing in failing to stop after an accident in which a person might have been killed. Neither had shown the full qualifications to be in charge of motor-cars, although in

the last two years. Mora’s record had improved. Campion had lost his licence for some time, and would have to wait for its renewal at the discretion of the Court. Mora was fined £5 for failing to give way, £5 for failing to stop, and £lO for failing to report an accident. His licence was suspended for six months. Campion was fined £l5. DANGEROUS DRIVING Russell Ferguson Lawrence, a motorcyclist who attempted to pass two vehicles travelling abreast and in doing so knocked over a pedestrian, was convicted and fined £6, and his driving licence was cancelled for a month. Lawrence pleaded guilty to a charge that on January 16 he rode a motorcycle on Ferry road in a manner that might have been dangerous. Sub-Inspector C. H. Reardon said that at 7.55 p.m. on January 16 the defendant was riding his machine north-west along Ferry road. Traffic was very heavv. Approaching the intersection of Ferry road and Bordesley street. Lawrence pulled out and attempted to pass a car. which in turn was overtaking another vehicle. Instead of pulling in behind the outside car when he could see he could not pass him the defendant continued to ride on the wrong side of the road, and collided with a woman pedestrian, who suffered head injuries. Lawrence said that when he saw he could not pass, he began to drop back, but he left this move too late. The pedestrian was well into the middle of the road when he first saw her. He attempted to go behind her, but she seemed to panic, and as she began to run back towards the kerb he hit her. said the defendant. REMANDED Lewis Arundell Revell, aged 48 a labourer (Mr W. G. P. Cuningham), was remanded to February 23 on a charge that on or about October 24. 1955, at Woodend, he indecentlv assaulted another male. Bail of £5O in his own recognisance, with one surety of £lOO, was allowed. Arthur Clarence Wilder, aged 42. a labourer, was remanded to February 23 on a charge that on February 16 he converted a woman’s bicycle, valued at £l5. the property of a person oi persons unknown. He was allowed bai 1 in his own recognisance of £25, with one surety of £25. and is to repot daily to the police. TRAFFIC CASES In cases brought by the police offenders against the traffic regulations were dealt with as follows: Failed to give way to right: Arthur Albert Brownie. £4; Matthew Desmond O’Brien. £3; Verdun Clive Thompson. £5 (no warrant of fitness. 10s; supplying false information to police, £5). Drove motor-cycle at night without light: Denis Raynor Stephen. £2. Driving without due care and attention: Benjamin Thomas Hooper, £3: Garth Francis Muirson, £5 (no waro' fitness, 10); Leonard Thomas Smith, £2.