SLEEPY DRIVER
Drunken Driving Charge Fails
(N.Z. Press Association) DUNEDIN, Dec. 20. Although it took the concentrated efforts of three police consta-bles to waken John William Lawless, aged 35, a driver, found slumped over the wheel of his car in Princes street at 1250 am today, he was certified as fit to be in charge of a car when examined at 1.45 a m Lawless pleaded not guilty through Mr A. P McAlevey in the Magistrate’s Court today when charged with having been in charge of a car while under the influence of drink or drug, and the information against him was dismissed by Mr J D Willis. S.M Senior-Sergeant R. M Schwass said that Constables P Egan and J Pearson had been unsuccessful in their efforts to wake Lawless. It was not until DetectiveConstable R J. McLennan arrived and shook him for almost five minutes that Lawless woke and was taken to the Central Police Station at 1 30 a m. The night station sergeant Sergeant T V Thomson, however, considered that although Lawless had been drinking, he was fit to be in charge of a car and this opinion was confirmed by a medical examination.
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume C, Issue 29702, 21 December 1961, Page 8
Word Count
197SLEEPY DRIVER Press, Volume C, Issue 29702, 21 December 1961, Page 8
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