MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29234, 18 June 1960, Page 4

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

FRIDAY (Before Mr E. A. Lee/S.M.) REMANDED FOR SENTENCE Norman Lemon, aged 27, had already been convicted on 66 offences for which prison terms totalling 75 years—including many concurrent sentences—had been imposed, said Mr E. A. Lee, S.M., in the Magistrate's Court yesterday. “The time has now been reached whbre the public interest demands your detention for a long time,” he said, declining jurisdiction on five charges on which Lemon appeared involving breaking and entering, theft, unlawful conversion of two cars, and of a bicycle. Lemon was remanded in custody for sentence in the Supreme Court on all charges. ‘‘You are only 27 years of age yet this is your twelfth appearance for sentence on a variety of serious charges,” the Magistrate said. DROVE ON AFTER COLLISION For failing to stop after an accident in which his car struck the right front of another vehicle which he had almost overtaken in Riccarton road on June 17| Bernard Neil Smith, aged 25, a ! freezing worker, was fined £7 10s and had his driving licence suspended for one month. He| was also fined £5 for driving without due care and attention. I He pleaded guilty to both' charges.

Mr G. T. Mahon, who appeared for the defendant, said the incident was due to an error of judgment. He did not consider he had done anything more than touch the other car, and as it was still travelling after being hit he did not consider it worthwhile stopping.

DANGEROUS DRIVING An incident which occurred on the Waikari-Reefton main road at 1.50 p.m. on April 18 resulted in Harold Drummond, a presser, appearing on a charge of dangerous driving.

I The Rev. O. R. Bamburv gave l evidence that he was driving ■along the Waikari-Reefton main ‘highway towards Hamner when Ihe saw a vintage car approachling. A late model English car then pulled out from behind the vintage car and attempted to pass. The driver of this car saw the approaching vehicle driven by witness, and in order to avoid a collision, pulled over to the wrong side of the road and passed witness’s car on the inside, going practically on to the grass verge to do so.

The defendant said he was three-quarters of the way past the vintage car in his overtaking manoeuvre when he saw the oncoming car. He considered the only thing to do was to brake slightly and go further to the right to give the oncoming car a chance to pass between his car and the vintage vehicle. He said he had done the best he could in an emergency, and had had no option but to move further out to the right. The height of the vintage car had made it hard for him to see ahead before overtaking. “Faulty overtaking is the worst of driving offences, making a Situation of danger for innocent and law-abiding motorists who have no opportunity to avoid an accident,” said the Magistrate. Drummond was fined £25 and his driver’s licence was cancelled for 18 months. OTHER TRAFFIC CASES In other traffic charges brought by the police, convictions were entered as follows: Driving without due care and attention: Patrick John Glassenbury, £lO and licence endorsed for three years. No driver’s licence: James Duncan Austin, £2; Patrick Charles Boon, £3; Richard John Cameron. £2 (no warrant of fitness, £1); James Joseph Wright, costs only. Failed to give way to the right: Cyril McCaskey, £4; Howard Edward Buckley, £3 (no driver’s licence. £2; no warrant of fitness, £1); Anthony Offley Hall, £3; John Barrymore Pettersen, £4. Overtaking on pedestrian crossing: Brian Andrew Kelman, £2. Driving vehicle other than specified on licence: William George Paget, £2 (no warrant of fitness. £3). Failed to comply with traffic lights: Mervvn Gordon Phillips, £3.

(Before Mr A. P. Blair, S.M.)

DRIVING RECORD APPALLING “The defendant’s record of irresponsible driving and contempt for authorities over the past years has been appalling and the only thing that prevents me from sending him to prison is his going into the Army, and his age.” said the Magistrate, when Graeme Herbert Milton Claridge, aged 18. a metal polisher, appeared for sentence on three traffic charges. Claridge was fined £3O. and his driver’s licence cancelled for a further year on a charge of driving while disqualified, his driver’s licence was cancelled for a year, to be concurrent with the other disqualification, on a charge

of dangerous driving, and he was convicted and discharged on a charge of fail’ng to report damage.

“I realise I am in some difficulty with this youth because of his record,” said his counsel. Mr B. McClelland. “The actual accident was caused by another youth grabbing the wheel of the car and forcing it on to the footpath. He knew that the police had been called to the accident. He did not report it as he was afraid to go to the police because of his record.”

In a Magistrate’s Court ease printed in “The Press” yesterday the Magistrate (Mr A. P. Blair, S.M.). who sentenced two men on charges of theft, was reported as saying that pillaging was rife in the Lyttelton yard. The men were charged with theft at the Middleton railway yard, and the Magistrate referred in his comment to pillaging there.