Magistrate’s Court Power-Cyclist’s Licence Suspended For 28 Days

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28530, 8 March 1958, Page 16

Magistrate’s Court Power-Cyclist’s Licence Suspended For 28 Days

“At his age he can push a bike,” Mr F. F. Reid, S.M., told counsel in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday when informed that an 18-year-old defendant would find it difficult to get from his home in Fendalton to his employment at Woolston if he had his powercycle licence suspended. Before the Court was Joseph Harry Jon Annan, who had pleaded not guilty to a charge of dangerous driving. Annan was convicted and fined £5, and his motor-driver’s licence was suspended for 28 days. Called by the police, Neil Clarence Brooks, aged 12, a pupil of the Burnside Road School, said he was riding a cycle east on fftmilton avenue at 5 p.m. on February 2. He was on the lefthand side of the road. He knew defendant. * “Joe Annan came along on nis power-cycle and grabbed me by the right arm and speeded up,” witness . said. “Then he threw me on to my left side.” The cycle handbrake punctured his stomach. To Mr B. J. Drake, who appeared for Annan, witness said he had not asked for a tow from Annan. At no stage when he was being pulled were the two holding hands. Mr Drake said defendant admitted towing Brooks, but denied pushing him over. He realised the admission might make defendant liable to a conviction on towing, but since this would fall short of dangerous driving -there might well be grounds for an amendment to the information. Giving evidence on his own behalf, defendant said he would have been travelling at between 10 and 15 miles an hour when he was towing Brooks. He was in low gear the whole time. He and Brooks were in a group going to Fendalton Park. They were at the back of the group. He offered to tow Brooks to catch up Brooks put out his hand, “but got windy after a few yards and let go. He fell off.” “I prefer the boy’s story,” commented the Magistrate, convicting Annan. (Before Mr L. A. Ritchie, S.M.) REMANDED Ponty Ann Heremaia, aged 34, charged with being idle and disorderly at Lyttelton on March 7, was remanded to appear on March 13. John Alfred Swetnan, aged 34 (Mr B. G. Dingwall), was remanded to appear on March 24 to answer a charge of being under the influence of liquor when in charge of a car. A man, aged 34, whose name was, ordered not to be published, was’ remanded to appear on March 13 on a charge of being found on enclosed premises. TRAFFIC CHARGES Charged with driving a motorvehicle in a dangerous manner in Colombo street on January 28, Peter Keith Harrison was convicted and fined £l2, his driver’s licence was cancelled and he was prohibited from obtaining another for 12 months. Harrison was also convicted and fined £5 on a charge of failing to give way and £1 for having no warrant of fitness. Frederick Hardman was convited on a charge that on February 8 at Christchurch he used a motor truck without due care and attention. He was fined £6 and his driver’s licence was suspended for 28 days. On a charge of failing to produce his driver’s licence for inspection. Hardman was convicted and fined £2, and for having no warrant of fitness he was convicted and fined £5. Other traffic offenders prose[cuted by the police were dealt with as follows: — Failing to give way: Kelvin

Wilfred Becker, £5; Istvanyi Bozi, £4; Alfred Heald, £4; George Edward Holdem, £4; Garry John Mason, £4; lan Stirling Miller, £5; Kenneth Mansfield O’Connell, £4; Francis Terrence Rooks, £4 (L plate breach, £3); Eugen Topchij, £3. Careless driving: Alexander Aird, £2; Thomas Albert Brown, £4; Bernard Dunick, £4; Gerald Ivan Grant, £5; Albert Harry Gurden, £4; John Russell Leggett, £4; Gordon Bruce Graham Purnell, £3; Arthur Davis Saul, £4 (no warrant of fitness, £2); Thomas Edward Arthur Still, £5 (no warrant of fitness, £1). Failing to yield right of way at pedestrian crossing: Graeme William Charles Langdale, £2. Failing to stop at stop sign: Necia Hogg, £2; Harold James Pont, £3. No warrant of fitness: Neville Lowe, £1; Andrew Rivers-Comer-ford, 10s. Too close to vehicle in front: Petras Karoly, £4. No driver’s licence: Margaret Rose Hodder, £1 (no warrant of fitness, costs only). Cycling without* light: John Boersma, £1 (no rear light, 10s) Parking car on footpath: John Francis Enright, £2 (no warrant of fitness, 10s); Alan Murdoch Mitchell, £2 (no warrant of fitness, £1). (Before Mr Rex C. Abernethy, S.M.) CARELESS DRIVING Maurice Robert McCabe (Mr N G. Hattaway), pleaded not guilty and was convicted and fined £3 for driving without due care and attention. Richard Andrew Stanley said he was knocked from his cycle by the defendant’s car, which turned from the Main North road into Winston avenue, cutting immediately across his path. McCabe said he heard several youths call to him to stop.! He felt no bump, and did not know there had been an accident until he stepped out of his car. \ Francis Arthur John Sole (Mr H. O. Jacobsen), pleaded not guilty ■to a charge of careless driving. After evidence had been given that he had struck a four-year-old boy and a pushchair pushed by his mother, on a pedestrian crossing when the traffic lights had turned against him, he was convicted and fined £4.