Magistrate's Court Suspended Sentence For Dangerous Driving

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28983, 26 August 1959, Page 9

Magistrate's Court Suspended Sentence For Dangerous Driving

Although a patrol car reached speeds of 70 miles an hour along Barrington and Frankleigh streets, Spreydon, while giving chase to a motor cyclist it could make little impresson on the offender, and it was only when the motorcyclist turned into a blind street and charged at a traffic officer who got out to stop him that he could be identified, said Chief Patrol Officer J. Brown in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. Colin Clifford Hiirrell, aged 22, appeared on nine traffic charges arising from offences committed between June 19 and 27.

On a charge of dangerous driving, Mr N. M. Izard. S.M., ordered Hurrell to come up for sentence if called upon within 12 months, a condition being that he does not attempt to drive a motor vehicle during this period. He was also disqualified from obtaining a licence for two years. He was -convicted and ordered to pay costs on charges of operating a motor vehicle without a driving licence on June 19, 24 and 27, failing to stop when requested on June 19, and exceeding 30 miles an hour on Riccarton avenue on June 27-

Charges of exceeding 40 miles an hour with a pillion passenger, exceeding 30 miles an hour without an approved safety helmet, and carrying a pillion passenger not wearing an approved safety helmet on June 27 were dismissed.

Hurrell pleaded not guilty to exceeding 30 miles an hour on June 27 and to the three charges which were dismissed, and admitted all other charges. The Magistrate, in imposing sentence, said he was letting the defendant off a good deal more lightly than he ought to in view of his illness and financial circumstances.

Evidence was given that the defendant, who was married, with one child, was in receipt of a Social Security pension because he had been suffering from tuberculosis.

Referring to the dangerous driving and other charges on June 19. Chief Patrol Officer Brown said a complaint was received about 9 25 p.m. that motor cyclists were careering up and down Rose street. A patrol car was sent out and as it turned from a side street a motorcyclist passed in front of it. He accelerated immediately and the patrol car gave chase, following the motor-cyclist for threequarters of a mile along Barrington street where he stopped. When a traffic officer got out of the car to approach the motorcyclist he turned around and rode off in the opposite direction.

Chief Patrol Officer Brown said the motor-cyclist was followed into Frankleigh street at speeds of about 70 miles an hour, and along Lyttelton street and then Rose street.

“The motor-cyclist turned into Marleyview street and turned off his lights, but apparently did not realise that it was a blind street, said Chief Patrol Officer Brown. He was found at the end of the street and when a traffic officer got out to interview him he came straight towards him, but the officer managed to get the number of the motor-cycle as it went past. The patrol car waited about 20 minutes in Rose street until a motor-cyclist was seen to go into a driveway- He was identified as the person who had been chased Evidence was given by Traffic Officer D. C. Baker that he stopped the defendant after he had been checked at 50 miles an hour in Riccarton avenue on June 27. The defendant told the traffic officer that the throttle of his machine jammed while he was riding along, causing the excessive speed. In Court, the defendent admitted that he had acted in an irresponsible manner, but said some traffic officers had “given him a lecture” and he had decided to “wake his ideas up.” He had stopped riding the motor-cycle since the offences. OTHER TRAFFIC CASES

On other traffic charges brought by the Christchurch City Council offenders were dealt with as follows:

Exceeding 30 miles an hour: Maurice Joseph Lepper, £lO and licence suspended for three months; Bevis Keith Blow, £2 (passed another vehicle on intersection, £3); Kenneth John Donaldson, £5; Delby Sheppard Drewery, £3; Reginald Beaumont Miller, £2; Warwick John Ainger, £2; Roger Guy Anthony Attwood, £2; Neil Raymond Beaumont, £3; Victor Bentley, £3; William Keil Bligh, £2; Margaret Elizabeth Boon, £2; James Brodie, £2; George Chaffey, £2; Cyril John Clifford, £2; Kevin George Coles (two charges), £2 and £2; James Watt Copland, £2; Peter Arnold Copland, £3; James Manfred Crombie, £2; Ronald Lillie Curline, £3; William Norman Robert Dawe, £2; Kenneth James Large, £3; Anthony George Lester, £3; Arthur Davies McLeish, £3; Alan Rochfort Mackay, £2; Bernard Alan Marriot, £3; George Woodford John Milne, £2; Edward Tennant Nicoll, £2; James Lewis Olds, £2; James Pate. £2; Gordon McKay Patterson, £2; Ivan George Price, £2; Sidney Reginald Thorpe, £2 (failing to carry warrant of fitness, £1 10s); James McCallum Tocker, £2; Patrick Wentworth Venning, £2; Trevor Cyril Ward, £2; Raymond Douglas Bennett, £2. Exceeding 30 miles an hour in heavy vehicle: Lionel RodneyPierce, £3.

Exceeding temporary speed limit: Arthur Albert Brownie, £3. Failing to stop at compulsory sign: Frank George Chisholm, £2; Keith William Morton, £2.

Overtaking vehicle stopped to give way at pedestrian crossing. William Chalmers. £3.

Attempting to pass another vehicle on an intersection: Hector Thomson, £3. Registration plates not affixed in prescribed manner: Jan Stapel. £2 (parking in prohibited area. £2).

No certificate of fitness: Kenneth Gorford Stewart, £l. Parking offences: Vernon Herbert Clemens, £2; Douglas Burns Cromb, £2; Thomas Greenall Lewis, £1; George Albert Stewart, £l.

Stopping on footpath: Robert James Hawkins, £3.

Goods service vehicle parked during darkness without rear red light: Desmond Frederick Cassidy, £2; Peter Keith Harrison, £2; Graham Edwin Prior, £2. Cycling without light: Robin Brown, £1 (cycling without rear red light, 10s). Driving behind another vehicle at such speed that unable to stop in clear roadway ahead: Peter Malcolm Hall, £3. FOUND DRUNK

For being found drunk in Barbadoes street at 6.55 p.m. on August 24, having once previously been convicted for a similar offence in the last six months, Colin Lindsay Rankin, was fined £5. CIVIL CASES (Before Mr Raymond Ferner, S.M.) JUDGMENT SUMMONSES The following orders were made on judgment summonses: P Martin to pay F. S. Wilding and A. C. Perry £5 2s 4d, in default six days’ imprisonment, warrant suspended while £1 a week is paid; John Charles Partleton to pay Commissioner of Inland Revenue £lO5 13s 10s, in default three months' imprisonment, no warrant to be issued until five days after service of order; R A. Faybling to pay Maling and Company, Ltd. £3 19s lid, in default four days’ imprisonment; K. Albertson to pay W. J. M. Bunt £3 10s, in default four days’ imprisonment, warrant suspended while £1 a week is paid; G. Cross to pay Motorways (Christchurch), Ltd. £3l Is 9d, in default 33 days' imprisonment, no warrant to be issued until three days after service of order; R. A. Henley to pav Batstones' Garage. Ltd. £2l 0s 6d, in oefault 29 days’ imprisonment, warrant suspended while £1 a week is paid; Kenneth Ernest Nicholls to pay Paul Madden, trading as the St. Albans Service Station, Ltd. £5O 18s 2d, in default 53 days’ imprisonment. no warrant to be issued until three days after service of order: R J Barnett to pay C. Clemens £4 10s, in default five days’ imprisonment; W H Stephenson to pay Weston, Ward and Lascelles £l4 12s, in default 16 days’ imprisonment, warrant suspended while £1 a week is paid; T. J. Kane to pay Hee. Gray's Service Station, Ltd. £l4 15s 9d. in default 16 days’ imprisonment; B. M. Davies to pay New Zealand Newspapers, Ltd. £3 Bs. in default four days’ imprisonment, warrant suspended while £1 a w n ek is paid; F. A. Griffin to pay N.Z. Farmers' Co-op. Association of Canterbury. Ltd. £7 10s, in default eight days' imprisonment, warrant suspended while £1 a week is paid; Raymond Knight Mortimer Bellam to pay Commissioner of Inland Revenue £ll 16s Id. in default 13 days' imprisonment, warrant suspended while £1 a week is paid.