MAGISTRATE’S COURT Intoxicated Rider On Converted Motor-Cycle

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28254, 16 April 1957, Page 11

MAGISTRATE’S COURT Intoxicated Rider On Converted Motor-Cycle

Richard David Hills, aged 21, and lan Clifford Goodhew, aged 21, a cook, pleaded guilty in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday to a charge that on April 3 they unlawfully converted a motor-cycle valued at £250, the property of Hendrick Van Nieuwkoop. Hills also pleaded guilty to driving the motor-cycle on Ferry road while he was under the influence of drink and not having a driver’s licence. Hills and Goodhew pleaded guilty to unlawfully taking a racing bicycle valued at £l5. Goodhew pleaded guilty to unlawfully taking a woman’s bicycle valued at £5. Mr Raymond Ferner, S.M., remanded both accused in custody to Thursday, April 18, for sentence pending a report by the Probation Officer. Senior-Detective G. C. Urquhart said the police received a complaint at 12,15 a.m. on April 3 that a motor-cycle had been taken from outside a house in Ferry road. At 12.25 a.m. Acting-Detective Stuart was in a police car when he saw the motor-cycle being driven along Ferry road. He sounded the siren but the motor-cycle did not stop and the police car had to speed at up to 70 miles an hour before the motor-cycle was eventually forced to the side of the road. Hills was driving the motorcycle and Goodhew was on the pillion. They were arrested. Both became abusive when they were in the police car and had to be restrained.

Hills was examined by Dr. F. L. Scott and certified unfit to drive a motor-vehicle, said Senior Detective Urquhart. One bicycle had been taken from Worcester street and the other from a stand in Cathedral square on the night of April 2. They were found at the place from which the motor-cycle had been taken, said Senior-Detective Urquhart. Hills had previously been before the Court. The police car was damaged to the value of £5 and one of the cycles to the value of £6 10s. Hills had been on social security for some time. GUILTY OF BIGAMY John Gordon Bates, aged 27 (Mr J. B. Weir), pleaded guilty to a charge of committing bigamy at Ashburton on April 4. Senior-Detective G. C. Urquhart said that on April 8 Constable F. French, during the course of his inquiries, s#w Bates in a rental car and asked him about maintenance due for his wife. Constable French noticed confetti on the floor of the car and asked Bates when he was married. Bates said “last Thursday.” Accused was previously married in England in 1955 and was now living at Sumner, said Senior-De-tective Urquhart. Last year he deserted his wife telling her he was going to England. His wife had given him £6O to terminate a contract he had made but instead of going to England, he went to Ashburton where he went through another form of marriage. He readily admitted the offence. Bates was remanded to April 18 for a Probation Officer's report and sentence. BREAKING AND ENTERING ADMITTED Maurice James Hogg, aged 39, pleaded guilty to charges of breaking and entering the shop of Cromb and Merritt, Ltd., and committing a theft on December 24; breaking and entering the same premises on December 31 with intent to commit theft; of breaking and entering Humes’, Ltd., at 617 Colombo' street on February 1; breaking and entering the premises of Gordon Alexander Wilson’s at 617 Colombo street on February 4; and breaking and entering the premises of Cull and Prosser, Ltd., at 603 Colombo street on April 7. Hogg was remanded to Thursday for a Probation Officer’s report and sentence.

Senior-Detective Urquhart said that at 3.20 a.m. on April ? Hogg had been found in a building in Colombo street. It was reported that the sum of 12s 6d was missing from the till. Later he admitted to detectives the other offences with which he was now charged. On December 24 it was reported that £3 in loose change had been taken from Cromb and Merritts but accused denied having taken the money although he admitted having helped himself to material from the shop, including a binocular. All the material with the exception of the binocular had been recovered. On December 31 he had again entered Cromb and Merritts and admitted having taken 3s 6d. On February 4 he had stolen some small change from Gordon Alexander Wilson’s premises but did not know how much. INTOXICATED DRIVERS John Lappin, aged 29 (Mr J. B. Weir), was sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment, and his driver’s licence was cancelled for 18 months when he pleaded guilty to a charge of driving a motorcar in Cambridge terrace on April 6 when he was under the influence of drink or drugs. Inspector C. H. Reardon said that at 3.40 p.m. on April 6, Lappin had been seen driving a motor-car on Lincoln road when he overtook several vehicles travelling in the same direction. When interviewed by a traffic inspector he was found to be unsteady on his feet. He was taken to the police station, where he was certified as not fit to drive a motor vehicle.

Mr Weir said although Lappin had been slightly incoherent when answering questions, the medical officer’s report was not a bad one. Arthur Harold Cleaver, aged 34 (Mr L. G. Holder), pleaded guilty when charged with driving a motor-car in Moorhouse avenue on April 6 when under the influence of drink or drugs. Cleaver was sentenced to seven days’ imprisonment and his licence was suspended for 18 months. Inspector C. H. Reardon said Cleaver had driven a car on Moorhouse avenue on April 6 on the wrong side of the road. After a collision with another car he was taken to the police station and there certified as unfit to drive a car. Both cars in the collision had been extensively damaged. Mr Holder said his client had been dazzled by the bright lights on other cars. A barman by occupation, defendant had probably misjudged the amount of liquor he could take with safety. It was not a bad case of intoxication. DISQUALIFIED FOR FIVE YEARS Arthur Hurndell Cunningham, aged 35 (Mr H. W. Hunter),

pleaded not guilty to charges that on March 31 he drove a motorcar on Main road, Redcliffs, while he was under the influence of drink, that he negligently drov3 a motor-car, and that he failed to stop after an accident. He was convicted on all three charges. On the first he was sentenced to 14 days’ imprisonment and disqualified from driving for five years. On the second he was discharged, and on the third he was fined £lO. The defence was that Cunningham did not know there had been an accident because very little damage was done to» his car and he heard no noise. When he was told there had been an accident he went back. He said he had two bottles of beer during the day. DRIVER FINED £7 Errol Moncrieff Tapp, aged 27, a truck driver (Mr R. W. Edgley), pleaded not guilty to a charge that on April 6 he was m charge of a motor-car on Marine parade, New Brighton, while he was under the influence of drink. He was convicted and fined The Magistrate said he would not suspend Tapp’s licence because of his occupation. Tapp was fined £2 for not having a warrant of fitness. FINE FOR DISORDERLY CONDUCT Janos Darvos, aged 29, a workman, pleaded not guilty to a charge of behaving m a disorderly manner in Worcester street on Apfil 13. xj Sergeant L. M. Bailey said that at 8.55 p.m. on Saturday he received information of trouble in Cathedral square and were being used. He found a big crowd milling about in Worcester street and accused in the centre, gesticulating wildly. Accused appeared to be arguing with friends. People in the crowd said

accused had a knife and because of accused’s behaviour and that of the crowd witness had no option but to arrest him. The crowd was definitely hostile. Accused was not drunk, but had had liquor. Witness had warned Darvos earlier in the evening and had advised him to get out of town. Through an interpreter accused said he had been waiting for the interval at a cinema, for he knew a friend of his was at the pictures. He saw three motorcycles parked and a man push them over for no particular reason. When he remonstrated this man and his friends to make trouble. He had had a few drinks, but was not drunk. Noone had spoken to him earlier as the police-sergeant had claimed. The Magistrate said he was satisfied that accused had behaved in a disorderly manner and if people coming to a new land could not behave as demanded by the country then it would be better if they went back to where they came from. Darvos was fined £lO. FIGHT IN COLOMBO STREET Lester Mervyn Ramage, aged 25, a cook, and Brian Ramage, aged 19, a labourer, pleaded guilty to a charge of behaving in a disorderly manner in Colombo street on April 13. A charge against a third man was withdrawn after evidence for the prosecution had been given. Constable N. Duffield said that at 6.30 p.m. reports had been received of a fight in Colombo street between milk-bar covyboys and Hungarians and that bottles were being used. He saw some broken glass from beer bottles on the road. If the police had not been present it seemed certain that a very awkward situation would have developed. Sergeant L. M. Bailey said

when a patrol car arrived near a milk-bar in Colombo street there were broken bottles on the roadway. There was quite a crowd there and several fights were in progress. The trouble appeared to have arisen when one of the Hungarians was seen in the company of a girl who, it was said, belonged to one of the Ramages. Each accused was fined £lO. IDLE AND DISORDERLY Alexander Charles Kerr, aged 43, a W’orkman (Mr J. B. Weir), pleaded guilty to a charge of idle and disorderly in that he nad insufficient lawful visible means of support. Kerr was sentenced to imprisonment for one month. THEFT OF AXE Colin George McCrone, aged 38, a painter (Mr J. B. Weir), was fined £5 for stealing an axe, valued at £l, on March 15. Mr Weir said McCrone had taken the axe from a place at which he had been working. He thought it belonged to his employer. REMANDED Aubrey Noel Lee, aged 35, a slaughterman (Mr J. G. Leggat), charged with being under the influence of drink or drugs when driving a motor-car on March 9, was remanded till today. Walter John Gibson, aged 20 (Mr A. Hearn), charged with unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl aged 14 on January 8, was remanded to April 29. Bail was allowed in the sum of £lOO and one surety of £lOO. (Before Mr L. N. Ritchie, S.M.)

DRIVER FINED £l5 Gordon Arthur Lawson, aged 54, a hairdresser (Mr A. D. Holland), who had been previously convicted, appeared for sentence on a charge that he drove a motor-car in Riccarton road on March 30 while he was under the influence of drink. He was fined £l5. His driver’s licence was cancelled and he was disqualified from obtaining another for 18 months. The Magistrate said that the doctor’s certificate which had been produced showed it would not be in Lawson’s interests to send him to prison. CHARGE DISMISSED Allan Owen Scott Carlaw, aged 26, a van driver (Mr B. J. Drake), pleaded not guilty to a charge that on April 7 he drove a motorcycle in Riccarton toad while he was under the influence of drink. The charge was dismissed. Carlaw pleaded guilty to not having a driver’s licence and not having a warrant of fitness. He was fined £2 on each charge. The police case was that Traffic Officer W. J. Tait, of the Transport Department, saw Carlaw driving a motor-cycle west along Riccarton road about 1 ajn. on April 7 and followed him because he was

weaving about the road. Carlaw turned into Rattray street and then turned back and fell from the motor-cycle. The traffic officer arrested him and took him to the Central Police Station. A sergeant and a constable considered him unfit to drive a motor-vehicle because of the effects of liquor. Dr. F. L. Scott considered him a borderline case with the doubt in his favour. The defence was that Carlaw had no drink after 6 p.m. on April 6, that he suffered from nervous dyspepsia, that he had hardly ever driven a motor-cycle and that he did not fall from the machine but let it drop when he stopped. Dr. R. I. Beggs saw him five minutes after Dr. Scott did and considered Carlaw fit to drive a motor-vehicle. The Magistrate said that there was a doubt on the drink charge and Carlaw was entitled to the benefit of the doubt. THEFT OF BICYCLE Peter William King, aged 27, a builder’s labourer, who had previously been convicted of the theft of a bicycle valued at £2B, was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment. (Before Mr F. F. Reid, S.M.) CASE DISMISSED Michael East, aged 20 (Mr H. S. Thomas), pleaded not guilty when charged with .driving a motor-car in Colombo street on April 6 while under the influence of drink or drugs. The charge was dismissed. A doctor who examined East considered he was fit to drive a motor-vehicle and a policesergeant said he was a borderline case with the doubt in his favour.