Magistrate’s Court Youth Fined £l5; Licence Cancelled For 18 Months

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30737, 29 April 1965, Page 25

Magistrate’s Court Youth Fined £l5; Licence Cancelled For 18 Months

Joseph James Laffey Ward, aged 18, was fined £l5 and had his driver’s licence cancelled for 18 months by Mr E. S. J. Crutchley, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday when he pleaded guilty to a charge of driving in a manner which might have been dangerous. He was originally charged with driving in a dangerous manner and he pleaded not guilty. Mr J. H. M. Dawson appeared for the defendant. Traffic Officer B. K. McBride, of the Transport Department, said about 11.20 p.m. on February 13 he was stationary in Riccarton road near Matipo street when a car driven by Ward passed at speed. He turned and gave chase.

The car turned into Clyde road and the speed built up. It went on to the incorrect side of the road to avoid some roadworks. The car passed over two T intersections at 50 to 55 miles an hour and did not return to the correct side of the road until it had passed a second lot of roadworks.

The car increased speed to 75 miles an hour and passed over the Creyke road intersection. It slowed down on approaching the Fendalton road lights. The vehicle was stopped a short distance down Fendalton road. Ward said he had to pull over to the right because of the roadworks and his highest speed on Clyde road was

between 50 and 55 miles an hour.

The Magistrate amended the charge and Ward pleaded guilty. Mr Dawson said the offence was committed late in the evening and there was no other traffic about. Ward did not earn very high wages. CARELESS USE Before a driver pulled out from the kerb he had to make sure he was not going to interfere with other traffic, whether indicators were used or not, the Magistrate told Graham Joshua Finnie, a labourer (Mr S. G. Erber). Finnie pleaded not guilty to a charge of careless use of a motor vehicle on February 5. He was convicted and fined £3. The Court was told Finnie had pulled out from the side of Springs road in front of an oncoming traffic patrol car. The traffic officer had seen no signal, and was forced to brake suddenly. In evidence Finnie said he had signalled and also looked for oncoming traffic through the van’s rear window. He had not looked out of the side window or given a hand signal. Merely looking through the rear window Was not enough, the Magistrate said. If necessary, one had to get out and look to make sure the way was clear. LICENCE SUSPENDED

Pleading guilty to a charge of passing on longitudinal white no-passing lines in Fendalton road on March 17 John Patrick Larmer, a student, was fined £3 and had his licence suspended for three months.

He also pleaded guilty to exceeding 30 miles an hour and was fined £3. FINED £l5

Eoin Hampton Chisholm pleaded not guilty to a charge of driving at a dangerous speed on March 13 and the charge was reduced to one of careless use. To this he pleaded guilty and was fined £l5. Traffic Officer B. Mcßride said on March 13 in Yaldhurst road limited speed zone he saw Chisholm’s car travelling west at about 55 miles an hour.

It came up on a very slowmoving car and was forced to brake heavily to avoid it. He could not stop in time and had to pass the slow car on the inside because of oncoming traffic. Chisholm said his attention was distracted by the children in his car, and when he looked back realised the other car was going very slowly. He thought he had got out of the situation well.

The Magistrate said the charge had been properly brought, but reduced it to one of careless use. IDLE AND DISORDERLY

Pleading guilty to a charge of being idle and disorderly in that he had insufficient lawful means of support on April 27, Reginald James Kemp, aged 17, unemployed, was convicted and remanded to May 6 for sentence. He was remanded in custody and ordered to be kept apart from adult prisoners. REMANDED Robert Kingi, aged 22, a workman, was remanded in custody to May 6 on a charge of burglary at the Alliance Freezing Company at Invercargill on April 18. TWO CHARGES Barry John Stoop, aged 24, a workman (Mr J. H. Macfarlane), pleaded guilty to using obscene language and not guilty to assaulting a constable on April 27. On both charges he was convicted and remanded in custody to May 6 for sentence. Constable J. P. Birmingham said that Stoop reported to the Central Police Station in an intoxicated condition. When warned about iris behaviour he used obscene language, and was arrested. The accused then stepped back from the counter, as if to leave. Constable Birmingham said he grabbed him by the front of his jersey, and Stoop applied a headlock. The constable called for assistance, and Stoop, releasing him, struck at him. Stoop said he could not remember doing what had been described. On occasions he had done things without realising them at the time. He was an alcoholic and had been receiving treatment. It had not been shown that the accused was so intoxicated that he was net responsible for his actions, said the Magistrate. DISMISSED

A charge of careless driving, against Glenn Russell

Clarke, aged 20, a driver, was dismissed. Clarke (Mr A. K. Archer) pleaded not guilty. The defendant was driving a front-end loader, which was hauling a heavy shinglescreening plant, on the Main South road at Islington on February 12, said Traffic Officer J. E. L. Hulme. He was surprised to see that the driver had his back turned to the direction in which he was travelling, his right hand was on the steering wheel, and he was looking ahead over his left shoulder. A mile further down the road the vehicle swung to the middle line, and nearly collided with a car coming towards it.

Clarke said the only safe way to drive the vehicle was in a backwards position, with the seat facing away from the direction of travel. A car in front had braked for no apparent reason, and when he applied the brakes they worked on one side of the loader only, pulling it across the road. Traffic Officer Hulme had very fairly admitted he could not see what was happening in front of the loader, said the Magistrate. As to the method of driving, it was certainly unorthodox, but this did not necessarily mean it was careless. When the owner had successfully applied to the Transport Department for a permit to operate the vehicle on the road, a photograph showing the method of driving had been enclosed. TRAFFIC OFFENCES In other traffic offences brought by the Transport Department offenders were dealt with as follows, with costs of fl 10s in each case:— Careless use of motorvehicle: Dennis Elsar Parkes, £6 (exceeding 55 miles an hour, £4); William Knape, £7 . 10s; Sergius Kaylov, £7 10s; Alexander Lawrie, £lO and disqualified for three months. „ Failed to keep left: Cyril Edward Newton, £7. Failed to stop at stop sign: Frank Robert Sutherland, £3; lan Gerald Reidy, £3; Grahame Carlisle Reid, £3; John Francis Scott, £5.

Carried pillion passenger contrary to condition of licence: Anthony Albert Thorpe, £1; Graham William Dempsey, £3; Graeme Stuart Boyd, £2; Graham Leonard Eddington, £l. Exceeded 30 miles an hour: lan Winstone Riley, £5; Trevor Percy James Sandford, £5 (failing to stop for traffic officer, £5); Judith Spence Grant, £2; Edward George Farrow, £4; Kenneth Hugh McDonald, £4; Jan Hendrik Breukelaar, £4; William Johnston Ellen, £4; Alan Basil Ford, £4; Ivan Barrymore Houghton, £3; Rodney Anthony Helm, £5; Yee Tong, £4; William Joseph Allison, £0: Donald James Bisman, £4: Dennis John Blewett. £4 (no warrant of fitness, £1; no safety helmet, £1); John Walter Bradshaw, £4; Peter Brooking, £2; Owen Robert Brownlee, £4; Richard David Capper, £4; Russell Leonard Clarke, £4; Michael John Flood, £5; William TreVor Geddes, £4; Judith Dorothy Gough, £2; Richard Hugh Guthrey, £5; Brian Frederick Hastings, £4; Christopher Martin, £4; Colin John Meese, £2: Francis Ronald Meyer, £2; Desmond John Hodgson, £4; Theresa Marie Link, £2 (no warrant of fitness, costs only; failed to produce driver’s licence. £1); Keith Martin Neiman, £4; Terrence John Pettersen, £4. , . No warrant of fitness: John Campbell Couling, £1 (defective parking brake, £2); Albert William Cornwell, £1; Leonard Allan prouting, £5; Ronald William Pickett, £10; John Arthur Vine, fl; Patrick Joseph McSharry, £5; Allan David Richardson, £3: George Caras, £1; Terence Wayne Turner, £4. Rode cycle on footpath: Stanley Campbell, £!; Kupa Ranglita. £1 (no light, £2). Safety chain not attached: Paul Francis Gerrard, £4; Ronald Albert Hall, £4. No driver’s licence. Peter Nicholas Van Der Zwet, £5; John Clifford Hampton. £3. Failed to mark end of load with white cloth: Brian Leslie Musson, £3, Failed to carry certificate of fitness: Eric Charles Roberts, £3 (failed to carry heavy traffic licence, £3); Raymond Edgar Dunstan, £5 (exceeding heavy traffic licence, £5). ■ Trailer not safely secured to car: Raymond Norman Shields, £4; George Reynold Watson, £4. Operated noisy motor vehicle: Murray Watson Baker, £3: Graham Ronald Daly, £2. Parking in prohibited area: lan James Barwell, £3. Failed to produce driver s licence: Bruee Gordon Campbell, £l. Exceeded 40 miles an hour With trailer: Ralph Arthur Noel Conner, £5. Failed to yield right of way to pedestrian on crossing: Kenneth WUliam Haworth, £7, and disqualified for six weeks. Exceeded heavy traffic licence: Barry Keen, £3. Failed to carry heavy traffic Hcence: J. M. McNaughton, Ltd., No rear red light on goods service vehicle: James Roylance Nalsbitt, £5.

Parked across vehicular entrance: Judith Weetenra, £3. permitted use of unlicensed vehicle: Leslie George Whitehead, £1 (no warrant of fitness, costs only, no safety chain attached, £1). (Before Mr H. J. Evans, S.M.)

CHARGE DISMISSED A charge of Indecent exposure against Edward George Fuller, aged <B, a market gardener (Mr W. F. Brown) was dismissed. He pleaded not guilty. The offence was alleged to nave occurred on March 25 in Selwyn street.