Magistrate's Court WOMAN GAOLED FOR 18 MONTHS

Press, Volume C, Issue 29602, 26 August 1961, Page 14

Magistrate's Court WOMAN GAOLED FOR 18 MONTHS

A married woman, June Sylvia Parsons, aged 35, was sent to prison for 18 months by Mr E. A. Lee, SM., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday when she appeared for sentence on a charge of theft of £l5l as a servant of Charles Begg and Company, Ltd., Palmerston North, between March 20 and May 19. The Magistrate said the accused had a very unhappy record of dishonesty extending over a number of years, and some of the offences were serious. It was hard to imagine how the accused ever got into any position of responsibility, he said. Mr P. G. S. Penlington, for the accused, said he realised she had shown irresponsibility with money and a tend, ency to be dishonest in the past and would have to be sent to prison. It was significant, however, that the latest offence had been committed when: the accused was in a state of mental anguish in thinking she had cancer. She had a long history of bad health, he said. The accused had had an unhappy home background before her marriage. Her husband, he said, was prepared to take her back. FINED £l5 Pleading guilty to charges of resisting the police and obstructing the footpath in Cathedral square on August 24, Kevin Alexander Finlayson, aged 28, was fined £lO on the first charge and £5 on the second. Sergeant E. S. Tuck said that at 8 p.m. the accused was among a group obstructing the footpath near the Crvstal Palace Theatre. The others dispersed when requested to do so by a constable, but the accused refused. When arrested he tried to break away from the constable and had to be handcuffed. Finlayson had previous convictions, said Sergeant Tuck. SENTENCE SUSPENDED Appearing for sentence on a charge of being on enclosed premises on August 22. Joseph William John Ockwell. aged 42 was ordered to come up for sentence if called on within the next six months. The Magistrate advised Ockwell to obtain a job and Stick to it. REMANDED

Charged with assaulting Douglas George Robson at Bumham and causing him bodily harm on August 12. Francis Lewis Gibson, aged 54, was remanded to September 4. Bail was refused. William Archibald Gillanders. aged 17, was remanded on bail to September 4 on a charge of theft of two model aeroplanes, engines. and parts valued at £l2 Bs. the property of Anthony Joseph Cook, on August 19. Wayne Maurice Carstairs was remanded to September 4 on a charge of stealing 7s 6d on August 15. Bail was allowed. Jack Atere Pirimona, aged 24. was remanded to September 4 on a charge of theft, involving £lO on Julv 8 and to.the same date for sentence on a charge of being on enclosed premises on August 8 Peter William Ewing, aeed 26. was further remanded for sentence until September 7 on a charge of theft of £3O of which he was convicted on Thursday. Mr A. F. Wilding for the accused, asked for the remand so that the question of restitution could be decided. DISCHARGED Noel Herbert Jones (Mr M. G. L. Loughman). who pleaded not guilty to driving without due care and attention. was discharged under the Criminal Justice Act. He was ordered to pay costs. Sergeant V. F. Townshend said that Jones was travelling north in a rental car on the Main North road near Glasnevin on the night of May 6 when he saw a man in the middle of the road waving a white handkerchief. Near the man was the flashing red light of an ambulance. Jones was unable to stop in time to avoid striking two care that had been involved in a previous accident. At that stage there were no injuries. The driver of the ambulance, Rex Gordon Noonan, said he was stopped 50 or 60 yards south of the original accident talking to the man with the handkerchief when Jones's car went past. Told there was another accident, he parked the ambulance on the side of the road. “I was just getting out of the ambulance when I saw another car approaching at high speed. This car crashed into the scene of the original accident As a result of this there was a fatality,' ’ Noonan said. Jones said in evidence that he dipped his lights for an oncoming car. When he raised them he saw a man waving a handkerchief, and 20 or 30 yards behind, the wreckage of the two cars. He thought the ambulance light was a railway signal. He braked and swerved to the left, but struck one car. causing dents in both vehicles. He had parked bis car north of the accident when the fatal accident occurred. The only discrepancy in the evidence was on the question of the distance between the ambulance and the wreckage, said Mr Loughnan The defendant did all he could to avoid an accident There was no evidence he drove without due care. The Magistrate said he thought Jones might have avoided the accident by keeping a proper look-out and reducing his speed. He did not think it was setting store by a standard to sav an alert and careful driver could have avoided the ac'i

dent. “The consequences of his negligence were very small. Apparently another inch would have averted an accident,’’ he said. PROHIBITED FROM DRIVING To strike a car while overtaking it on a wide-open street was a serious matter, said the Magistrate to Frederick Kenneth Risdon, aged 61 (Mr B. J. Drake), who pleaded not guilty to failing to stop after an accident, failing to ascertain if anyone was injured, and negligent driving. Risdon was convicted on the charge of negligent driving. He was fined £lO, and his licence was cancelled and he was disqualified from obtaining another for a year. The other charges were dismissed. Lawrence Henry Earl Clare said he was driving in Lincoln road at 10.55 p.m on May 20. When Risdon overtook his car there was a “thump and scraping sound" arid the car rocked violently. He followed Risdon's car into Lyttelton street, where it “weaved from gutter to gutter.” Risdon said that as far as he knew nothing happened when he overtook Clare’s car. He denied swerving. Dismissing the charges of failing to stop and failing to ascertain if anyone was injured, the Magistrate said Risdon might not have known a collision had occurred.

OTHER TRAFFIC CASES On other traffic charges brought by the police offenders were dealt with as follows: Failing to stop at stop sign: John Duncan Colquhoun, £7; Richard Sandrey Leggoe, £5; John Rowe, £lO (proceeding from stop sign, £5: failing to ascertain,! £lO, and driver’s licence | cancelled for one year). Failing to report damage:! Ivan Keith Cook, £7 and! motor driver’s licence can-i celled for one month (driv-| ing without due care and; attention, £3; no warrant of fitness, £2; no driver’s licence, 10s). Failing to give way: Arthur Norman Hetherington, £4 (no warrant of fitness, £l>: Myrtle Florence Marion Huggins, £5; Annette Ngaio Pooley, £4; Pauline Ethel Wemyss, £5; George Reed, £2. Driving without due care and attention: Bruce Lilburn Kingsland. witnesses’ expenses only. Having liquor in rental car: Edward Middleton Emmerson, £2 (allowing another person to drive rental car, £3). Attempted to cross railway line against the lights: Frederick William Henry Cook, £3 (no warrant of fitness, £1). Failing to notify change of owner: Kenneth Arthur Sorrell, costs only; Keith Anthony McGowan, £2. Failing to deliver registration certificate: lan Alister Milne, £l. Failing to report accident: Shirley Jean Wright. £1 (no warrant of fitness, £2). Crossing railway line when not clear: Neil Vincent Taylor. £3 Carrying loaded firearm inj car: Graham Alvin Le Comte, £4 (no warrant of fitness, £3).