MOTORIST FINED £l0

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28421, 30 October 1957, Page 8

MOTORIST FINED £l0

Reported To Police While Intoxicated

(New Zealand Press Association) INVERCARGILL. October 29

If a motorist who believes he is too intoxicated to drive voluntarily goes to the police station, his actions should be encouraged and not rewarded with prosecution. Mr O. M. B. French, told Mr G. A. Nicholls, S.M., in the Invercargill Magistrate’s Court today.

Mr French was defending lan Raynor Mcllroy, aged 26, who was subsequently convicted of being intoxicated in charge of a car and fined £lO. His driver's licence was cancelled for 12 months.

A prosecution in such circumstances acted as a deterrent to others who might otherwise voluntarily hand over their keys to the police, said Mr French. Too many drivers tried to sneak home by back streets and often did harm to themselves and other people. Mr French asked that Mcllroy, who had pleaded guilty, be convicted and discharged. He said it was somewhat unfortunate that Mcllroy had been charged at all Senior Sergeant C. J. L. Matheson said Mcllroy arrived at the police station at 10.10 pm. on Friday night and told the sergeant on duty he was intoxicated and had been driving around the city and thought he might have been involved in an accident. McIlroy's car was parked outside the police station. A doctor was called and he certified Mcllroy as unfit to be in charge of a car. The Magistrate said it was not clear to him why Mcllroy went to the police station and if he knew what he was doing there. In the circumstances, a fine of £ 10 would be imposed.