Motor-Cyclist’s Licence Cancelled For Speeding

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27911, 7 March 1956, Page 16

Motor-Cyclist’s Licence Cancelled For Speeding

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

are losing your licence for a considerable period, not only because of your dangerous speed but also because the Court has to protect traffic officers who, in doing their h ave to take their lives in their hands to protect you and the public,” Mr L. N. Ritchie. S.M.. told David William Gates in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Gates, aged 20, pleaded guilty to driving a motor-cycle at a dangerous speed at Kaituna on January 7 and to exceeding 40 miles an hour when carrying a pillion passenger. He was fined £lO on the dangerous speed charge and his driver’s licence was cancelled and he was disqualified from obtaining another for 12 months. He was fined £5 on the second charge. Traffic Officer C. S. Hansen, of the Transport Department, said he was on patrol at Little River at 6.15 p.m. on January 7 when he saw a motorcycle, with a pillion nassenger, travelling at a high speed towards Christchurch.

“I set out after him and reached a speed of 70 miles an hour but I could not bridge the gap while we were on the bitumen because he had it on me on the bends. But I caught up on him on the shingle part and checked his speed at 72 miles an hour,” said Traffic Officer Hansen. “He took several of the bends on his wrong side of the road. There was a fair amount of traffic travelling in the opposite direction. We travelled six miles before I overtook him. He told me he did not know what his speed was. I asked the young lady on the pillion seat how she felt about the high speed and she said she did not mind. Gates has pre- | yiously been before the Court for similar offences.

“I submit that he is a menace on the road and showed not only a total disregard for himself and his pillion passenger but also for other users of the road. He might have ended up by killing himself and his pillion passenger or someone else on the road,” said Traffic Officer Hansen. The Magistrate asked Gates why he was limping and Gates said he had fallen off his motor-cycle in a bit of shingle. He said he earned £9 15s a week.

“The inspector is right. You are a menace,” said the Magistrate. “You might have killed yourself or your pillion passenger. I am not so worried about you but I am worried that you might kill someone else or maim them for life. You are going to lose your licence for a considerable period.”

The Magistrate said he would consider the case during the lunch adjournment and -see what he would do with “this complete nuisance on the roads.”

When the Court resumed in the afternoon the Magistrate imposed the penalties stated. He said he could not tolerate such conduct in any motorist. He warned Gn*es that if he attempted to drive during his period of disqualification he might well find himself in prison, notwithstanding his age. DISQUALIFIED DRIVER FINED Edward Elliott, aged 30, a carpenter •Mr A. K. Archer), pleaded guilty to driving a motor-car on November 17 while he was disqualified from holding a driver s licence and to supplying false information to a traffic officer.

On the first charge he was fined £lO and prohibited from obtaining a driver’s licence for a further three months after the expiry of his current disqualification. He was fined £7 on the second charge. Senior Patrol Officer L. F. Smith, of the Christchurch City Council traffic department, said that Traffic Officer Hammett stopped Elliott in Ferry road about 11 a.m. on November 17 when Elliott was driving a car. Elliott was asked for his driving licence and warrant of fitness and said he did not have them with him. He gave his name and address as William John Elliott, of 48 Battersby street. This was found to be his brother who had had the car that morning but had later handed the keys to the accused. Edward Elliott went to the traffic department office and made a statement saying he had taken the car because he had had the index finger of his left hand crushed in an accident at work and he was in a hurry to get to the public hospital. Senior Patrol Officer Smith said that Elliott had two convictions involving drink. On November 1. 1954, he was fined £2O and disqualified from driving for 21 months for being in charge of a car while under the influence of drink. Mr Archer said that the case was called last week and Elliott did not appear. A warrant was issued but not executed. It was not Elliott’s fault that he was not present. Counsel had arranged for an adjournment for a week, but this information was not given to the prosecuting officer. Elliott had a car but his wife had been driving it while he was disqualified. said Mr Archer. Under the stress of his injury and the pain he was suffering he went for his car and foolishly decided to drive it himself instead of sending for his wife. Since his last conviction he had totally abstained from liquor and had made strenuous efforts to rehabilitate himself. The car had now been disposed of. LICENCES SUSPENDED Clarence Patrick McNair was fined £lO on a charge of driving in a manner which might have been danger0US j ls driver’s licence was suspended for three months. Traffic Officer L. J. King said that McNair drove along Cambridge terrace at 4.55 p.m. on November 29 at 45 miles an hour. He failed to give way to his right at Hereford street and passed a car on the Worcester street intersection.

Senior Patrol Officer L. F. Smith said that McNair was convicted of a similar offence on June 28. 1955. Colin Robert Gilmore was fined £lO and his driver's licence was suspended for 28 days on a charge of driving at a speed which might have been dangerous.

Traffic Officer H. J. McMorran said that Gilmore drove along Moorhouse avenue at 1 p.m. on December 14 at speeds of 40 to 45 miles an hour, these being across Madras street and Barbadoes street respectively. It was an exceptionally busy time on the streets there.

EXPENSIVE PARKING “This man has made quite a formidable list since December 1. He has had six previous convictions and this is his seventh apnearance, the last being on February 7. when he was fined £6.” said Senior Patrol Officer L. F. Smith when Angus Roy Arblaster appeared on a charge of leaving his car in a time-expired metred space Arblaster was fined £7 and ordered to pay costs.

OTHER TRAFFIC OFFENCES In other traffic prosecutions brought by the Christchurch City Council traffic department, the penalties were: Parked in a prohibited area: Geoffrev McFarlane Alexander, £2; John McKenzie Campbell. £1; Hermanus Hendrikus Maria Haverkort. £1; John Angus McKenna. £1; John Arthur Miller, £1; Robert Edward Muir, £1: Andrew ’Woodley Robinson, £5: Eleanor Rowlandson, £1; Bryan Phillip Suckling. £5: Cecil Robert Tooley. £1 (failing to produce driver’s licence. £2; failing to produce warrant of fitness, £1); Warren Layland Welton, £2; Alister Joseph West. £l. Exceeding the speed limit: William Rex Andrews. £3 (no warrant of fitness. £1): Alfred Dillon Bell. £2: Noel Malcolm Collie, £2 (not displaying L plates, £2L Peter Spoelstra. £2. Parked in time-expired metered

I space: Athol Edward Bailey, Clifford ■ George Bellworthy, Joseph Block. Owen Duffield. Robert Henry Evans’ 'j George Roland Gould. Thomas David . Jarman, Robin McDonald Lockhart. ■ Meryl Dorothy Mehlhopt, Dorreen ‘ Maisie Mitton. Reginald Erian O’Neill, ; Jonathan Somers-Cocks. Thelma Kath- : leen Taylor. Walter Topschij, Victor Raymond Buchanan. £1 each; Vernon Cecil Cox. convicted and discharged: Dorothy Gowans and Elsa Estella Lulkam, 10s each; Nola Gertrude Lorimer. | £2. Parked within 20 feet of pedestrian I crossing: Elsie May Bensemann, £1; Garry Haughey, £l. Double parking: Alexander Broome, £1; Frank Eastwood, £1: Maxwell Duncan Emerson. £1; Reginald Scott, £1; Sarfiuel Godfrey Switzer, £1; Douglas Watson, £l. No warrant of fitness: Dennis Bernard Carr. £1: Desmond Owen Hooper. £1; George Miller Martin. £1 (parked ■ in time-expired metered space. £1). i Parked too close to corner: Edward i Ambrose Dobson, 10s; Graham Mervyn ! Wright. £l. Failing to produce driver's licence: I Joe Greaves. £2 (failing to produce | warrant of fitness, £1). ■ Using a motor-vehicle without ' reasonable consideration: Leslie Graham McCarthy. £3 (not display- ; ing front number plate, £2); James Richardson. £2. Failing to dio lights: David William i McClelland. £3 (overtaking on intersection. £2). Parked over the time limit: Brian Joseph McSherry, £l. Not displaying front number plate: Eric Barry Paul, £2 (failing to produce warrant of fitness. £1). Not displaying licence label: New Zealand Express Company, Ltd., £2 (not displaying identifying mark, £2: : no certificate of fitness, £1). No rear red light on cycle: William Maynard Maxwell, 10s. Failing to stop at compulsory stop sign: Anthone John Troke, £2 (no warrant of fitness, 10s). Parked within an intersection: Ethel Turnbull, £l. Driving without due care and attention: Clarisse Joyce Watson, £2. Using unlicensed vehicle: James Gilbert Wright, £5 (not displaying two registration plates. £2). No red light on vehicle: Richard Heaton Smith. £l. The following prosecutions were brought by the Transport Department: Exceeding the speed limit: Edward James Jessett, £3. Not carrying appropriate heavy traffic licence: John Brown, £5. IDLE AND DISORDERLY Hugh Goodlet, aged 63. pleaded guilty to a charge that on March 6 he was deemed to be idle and disorderly in that he had insufficient lawful means of support. He was sentenced to one month's imprisonment. Sub-Inspector C. H. Reardon said that Goodlet went to the Addington Police Station and asked to be arrested. He said he had no money and had been sleeping in the park for a week. He had a substantial list and drink was his downfall. He had outstayed his welcome at the Salvation Army home because of his drinking habits. SHIP DESERTION Barry Dixon Howe, aged 18, a seaman (Mr A. D. Holland), pleaded guilty to deserting from the ship Rangitata at Auckland on January 9. He was ordered to be detained for one month subject to the provisions of the Shipping and Seamen’s Act. Mr Holland said that Howe was a New Zealander and representations were being made on his behalf to stay here. Mr J. R. Woodward appeared for the shipping company. PROHIBITED IMMIGRANTS Gunnar Nigolaysen. aged 17, Odvar Haugen, aged 17, and Egil Halvorsen, aged 18, all seamen, pleaded guilty through an interpreter to a charge of entering New Zealand at Lyttelton on March 3 without a permit when they were prohibited immigrants. They were ordered to be detained for one month pending deportation. Mr P. T. Mahon, for the Collector of Customs, said that the three youths were Norwegians from the crew of the ship G. T. Gogstad which sailed on March 3. Satisfactory arrangements could be made to have them placed on a Norwegian ship fairly soon. The youths asked if they could be given work for the month. “I am quite sure that will be attended to,” said the Magistrate. REMANDED Graham Leslie Davey, aged 18, a cook, was remanded to March 12 on a charge of stealing two bottles of gin and one bottle of brandy, valued at i £2 Is, the property of Alexander i McDonald. He was allowed bail of • £lOO and one surety of £lOO on condition that he reports daily to the police. CIVIL CASE (Before Mr Rex C. Abernethy, S.M.) JUDGMENT BY DEFAULT Bishop and Company. Ltd., was given judgment by deafult against H. Baird for £2l 9s.