£46 DAMAGES AWARDED

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29058, 21 November 1959, Page 14

£46 DAMAGES AWARDED

Woman Knocked From Bicycle

The finer points and technicalities of sweeping a channel were discussed at some length in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday when Agnes Essie Monica Baff, a widow, claimed damages from the Christchurch City Council for injuries suffered when she was knocked from her bicycle by a channel sweeper’s broom. ‘ Mr A. Hearn, for the City Council, explained the method of operation used by a channel sweeper with his seven foot broom with brush on one end and metal scraper at the other. “Yes, I know what you mean. I saw one working this morning. It’s a rather fearsome weapon too,” said the Magistrate, Mr N. M. Izard, S.M. “I am not suggesting it was used as a weapon in this case though,” he added. Mrs Baff (Mr E. J. Somers), claimed £l5O damages from the Council for the accident which occurred on September 26, 1958, when a broom used by Robert Henry Munday knocked her frcm her bicycle as she rode past him in Waller terrace. She had suffered a black eye, bruises, and injury to her. forehead, right arm and leg, she said. Terrible Nightmares She was unable to resume full time work until three weeks after the accident, and had suffered terrible nightmares, Mrs Baff told the Court. Munday said that he had just finished scraping sediment out of the gutter and was swinging his broom around to resume sweeping when it had hit Mrs Baff, who was cycling past. He had had his ljack to Mrs Baff. ' ' Munday said that he had been a channel sweeper for 14 years and nothing like this had happened before. The method he used for scraping sediment out ol the gutter was the only way it could be done properly, and he was still doing it that way. The Magistrate awarded Mrs Baff £4O damages and £6 12s special damages.