TRAFFIC CHARGE DISMISSED

Press, Volume C, Issue 29509, 10 May 1961, Page 11

TRAFFIC CHARGE DISMISSED

Woman's Father Criticised

“Thomas Neil Mouat, when giving evidence, was evasive and unreliable; and I don’t think he has been straight either with the traffic officer or this Court,” said Mr A. P. Blair. S.M.. in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday. The Magistrate was dismisang a charge against Mary Mouat. of Punakaiki, of failing to supply information. Miss Mouat was fined £5 on December 5. 1959, and a rehearing was applied for and granted. The charge related to the issuing of a traffic offence notice for parking in a timeexpired metered space on July 2. 1959. The Christchurch City Council traffic department issued a demand for Miss Mouat. the registered owner of the car, to supply information as to who was the driver of the car at the time. “The information was not supplied by Miss Mouat, but her father, who was in charge of the car in Christchurch at the time, went into the traffic department a few days after the notice was received,” said the Magistrate. “The second point made by counsel for the defence was of some substance. Miss Mouat’s father had gone to the traffic department as her agent, but he had behaved evasively and this misled the department. She imagined that she had complied with the demand. She believed her father had given the required information. “Miss Mouat has said on oath that she believed she had done all that was required of her. She has only her father to thank for this absurd situation which has arisen,” said the Magistrate when dismissing the charge. Miss Mouat was represented by Mr B. G. Dingwall and pleaded not guilty to the charge. Chief Patrol Officer J. Brown prosecuted. In evidence Miss Mouat said that she had been in Punakaiki on the day of the offence, and the car had been in the care of her father. She admitted receiving the traffic offence notice, but thought that her father had cleared the matter un when he visited the City Council traffic office with the notice a few days after she received it. In evidence Mouat said that he had gone to the City Council traffic office on the day he got the ticket and again later with the offence notice. He said that he had been acting as an agent for his daughter.