Magistrate’s Court Licence Suspended On Dangerous Driving Charge

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28542, 22 March 1958, Page 14

Magistrate’s Court Licence Suspended On Dangerous Driving Charge

Ronnie Nicholson, aged 29, a boilerman employed by the North Canterbury Hospital Board pleaded not guilty in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday to a charge of dangerous driving. Mr E. A. Lee, S.M., convicted him and imposed a fine of £lO, cancelled his driver’s licence and prohibited him from obtaining another for six months.

To a charge of having no warrant of fitness defendant pleaded guilty. He Avas. convicted and ordered to pay Court costs. Sergeant V. F. Townshend prosecuted for the police. Defendant was not represented by counsel. •

Gerald -Vincent Hood, a sales 7 man, gave evidence that about 9.25 p.m. on Saturday. January 25. he was driving his car south on the left hand side of Bowen avenue when he saw the headlights of an approaching motor vehicle. The vehicle moved on to the wrong side of the road. “I though he was playing chicken and I moved further over to the left," witness said. “He was just a few feet away when I realised he was not going to pul] out." Witness said that there was a head-on Collision. The other vehicle would have been travelling at more than 30 miles an hour.

“I though has was unfit to drive a car because he smelt very highly of liquor when I helped him out of his car.” witness said.

Constable N. F. Pipe said' defendant had told him his car's front suspension had come adrift causing the axle to move’ back and making the car swerve. “I have carefully examined the car and I fail to see how this could happen Ido not believe it happened.”-- witness said. In evidence on his own behalf defendant said he felt the front right hand side of the car drop and realised the suspension had gone.

“I had no way of getting out of it If I had applied the brakes it would have brought the wheel under and I could have gone over to the right” he said. Cross-examined by Sergeant Townshend, defendant denied having had more than four- beers on the afternoon of the accident DRIVER WARNED

“If you offend in* this way again you wih not be driving a truck for some time,” the Magistrate warned Donald Bain Miller, aged 21, a truck driver, who appeared on a charge of driving without due care and attention. Miller pleaded guilty and was convicted and fined £6 and costs. Sergeant V. F. Townshend said

that about 7.15 p.m. on February 15 defendant rode his motor-cycle over the Clyde road intersection from Fendalton road to Memorial avenue at a speed estimated to be 50 miles an hour. Two chains on, the vehicle struck a bump and it went out of control and crashed 95ft further on. Defendant’s body struck a parked car and he suffered head injuries. REMANDED Bernard John Pimley, a pensioner, and Edwin James Williams, a chainman, appeared on joint charges of breaking and entering and committing theft at Dunedin on March 11, and being unlawfully on enclosed premises at 39 Sandyford street, Christchurch, on March 20. They were remanded to March 27. Murray John Roberts, a workman, and Peter Gordon Skerten, a workman, were jointly charged that on March 19 at Kaiapoi they broke and entered the shop of Blackwell’s, Ltd., in High street, and committed theft. They were remanded in custody to March 27. Keith James Millar, aged 17, a workjnan, was remanded to March 27 on a charge of converting a New Zealand Broadcasting Service van, valued at £BOO, in Christchurch on March 18. TRAFFIC CASES Offenders against the traffic regulations were prosecuted by the police and dealt with as follows: Careless driving: Richard Allan Wild, 4; Albert Shephard George, £4 (no warrant of fitness, £1); Joseph Charles Queen, £5; Graham Francis Stuart, costs only (no warrant, £1). Failing to give way: John Selwyn Reid. £4: Frank Christonher Schimanski, £4; Bernard John Schimanski, £4; George Topp, £3 (no licence £l, no warrant £1). No driver’s licence: Maurice Robert Moulton, £l. Insufficient lights: John Grant, £5 (second change £l, no warrant of fitness £3).

(Before Mr L. N. Ritchie, S-M.) BORSTAL SENTENCE

Karl Alfred Truman Dollman, aged 20, was convicted and sentenced to a period of Borstal training when he appeared for sentence a a charge of unlawfully taking a m? 4 -»r-vehicle from Sumner on or about December 10, 1957.

The time you will spend there will depend on you,” the Magistrate told Dollman. MOTOR-CYCLISTS FINED

Twq motor-cyclists, lan William McGregor and Alan David Thomas, were each convicted and fined £5 on charges of driving their machines near Weka Pass on Aujust 8 last year in a dangerous manner. ’ addition, their licences were suspended for -28 days. ( ■ Charges of dangerous riding against the defendants’ two pillion passengers Kathleen Brooking and Merlene Bartlett— were dismissed.

The Transport Department, which prosecuted, was represented by Traffic Officer L. R. otringer, and ac ?used, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, were represented by Mr B. J. Drake.