Magistrate’s Court Motor-Cyclist Chased By Police Car Through City

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29070, 5 December 1959, Page 11

Magistrate’s Court Motor-Cyclist Chased By Police Car Through City

An unlighted motor-cycle which had “flashed” in front of a police car at Hospital Corner was chased at high speed along Oxford terrace, did not reduce speed as it crossed intersections, went through the traffic lights and cut the corner into Armagh street, Mr A. P. Blair, S.M.. was told In the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. The driver of the police car was unable to catch the motorcycle and finally gave up the chase.

Keith Albert Churcher, aged 22, the driver of the motor-cycle, was charged with driving in a dangerous manner, having no lights, and exceeding 30 miles an hour without wearing a safety helmet. Constable E. McAleer said that throughout the chase he had kept the horn of the police car going continuously. At one stage he pulled up close to the rear wheel of the motor-cycle. Churcher’s pillion passenger kept turning round to see how the chase was progressing. When the police car followed the motor-cycle from Oxford terrace into Armagh street, the car just missed hitting the pie cart, said the constable. The chase continued down Armagh street to Manchester street, and then he returned to the police station after noting the registration number of the motor-cycle.

He estimated that the motorcycle at times reached speeds of between 50 and 60 miles an hour. Churcher, for whom Mr R. B. Shand appeared, said he had been going at a normal speed, his lights had been switched on, and he had not been aware that the police car was chasing him. He denied all the allegations made by the constable. The Magistrate said as there was a conflict of evidence on all' important points, the case turned on the credibility of the witnesses. He accepted the evidence of the constable in preference to defendant’s witnesses. The charges relating to the lights were dismissed. Churcher was fined £2 for failing to wear' a safety helmet (to which he had pleaded guilty) and on the charge of dangerous driving he was fined £lO and his driving licence was cancelled for a year. DROVE WITHOUT CARE Thomas Albert Anthony Jones, J aged 27, whose car collided headon with another car on his wrong side of the road, was convicted and fined £8 on a charge of driv-, ing without due care and atten-, tion. His driving licence was* suspended for a month. For having no warrant of fitness. Jones was fined an additional £2. TRAFFIC OFFENCES Other traffic offenders prosecuted by the police were dealt ’ with as follows: Failed to give way: James 1 Joseph Carrico. £5: Doreen Kath-| leen Muriel Cornish. £4; John' Owen Hamilton, £4; Charles 1 Herbert Sealey Rooke, £4: Bernard Sydney Wilkins, £4. Drove without due care and attention: Thornes Harold Jack Hix. £5; Percy Tyler, £4. CHARGE DISMISSED A charge against Garry Raymond Johannes, aged 20, a motor mechanic <Mr W. F. Brown) of

driving without due care and attention in High street on October 8 was dismissed. REMANDED Peter Murray Robertson was remanded on bail for a week on a charge of failing to report while on probation.

• Before Mr N. M. Izard, S.M.): FAILED TO STOP A company manager, Charles Edward Brook Bowen, aged 65 •Mr J. E. Millar), was fined £5 for failing to stop after an accident, and £3 for driving without due care and attention on October 26. Pleas of guilty were entered on both charges. Evidence was given that the defendant’s car suddenly made a right turn from Harper avenue into Fendalton road and struck another car which was half-way) across the intersection. When ) interviewed the defendant admit-' ted knowing he had struck thej other car but thought the bumper bar only had been clipped and J that the complainant’s car had carried on. He did not notice any damage on his car because of damage sustained on another occasion. Mr Millar said the defendant admitted driving without care. ( but had looked in the rear vision mirror and assumed the other car had carried on as he could not see it. This had been borne out by the complainant’s statement that the defendant had slowed down after the collision and then carried on. DROVE WITHOUT’ CARE A West Coast man who struck the side of a parked taxi in

Worcester street, Linwood, on the) evening of August 28 was fined £5 when he was convicted of driving without due care and attention. The defendant, Reginald Isaiah Price, aged 30. a coal- ! truck driver, of Punakaiki. was represented by Mr J. E. Millar,) who entered a plea of not guilty. Ralph William Snow gave evidence that while his taxi was parked for a passenger to make purchases from a shop at the in-| tersection of Worcester and England streets the de f endant’s vehicle crashed into the right rear of his vehicle and grazed along the side. It did not stop and he gave chase, stopping the defendant’s car a block further along the road. “The defendant denied crashing into my car, and claimed he could see no damage when called to inspect the taxi,” said the witness. A passenger in the taxi said the vehicle was parked as close as possible to the kerb as the door could not be opened fully.

In a statement produced by Constable A. E. Yaxley. Price was alleged to have said he did not i hear any sound of a collision. . The taxi-driver abused him. and • accused him of causing the damage, which he denied. He claim,’ed that the taxi was double- > parked, and he had to veer to . the right to pass it. > Mr Millar said there was only a minor error of judgment on the [ defendant’s part. The case was > more of civil liability than police j action as only slight damage was caused.