MAGISTRATE’S COURT Youth Fined And Disqualified For Careless Use Of Car

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31729, 12 July 1968, Page 7

MAGISTRATE’S COURT Youth Fined And Disqualified For Careless Use Of Car

Bernard Gilbert Rusbatch, aged 18, a contractor’s assistant (Mr R. F. B. Perry), pleaded guilty in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday to a charge that on March 16 in Park Terrace he used a motor car carelessly. He appeared before Mr P. L. Molineaux, S.M. He was convicted, fined $l6 and disqualified for one month.

Traffic Sergeant H. J. MeMorran said Rusbatch was travelling north on Park Terrace about 10.50 p.m. when he overtook a line of cars travelling at 30 m.p.h. He had to pull sharply to the left because of a car stopped near the centre of the road waiting to make a right turn into Salisbury Street. In pulling left Rasbatch caused the car he was overtaking to take evasive action. When interviewed Rusbatch said he was trying to get away from a person named Rourke, and he had laid a complaint against Rourke for his driv-

ing in Cathedral Square, Sergeant McMorran said. Mr Perry said that when Rusbatch stopped at a pedestrian crossing in the Square earlier Rourke had pulled his car so close to Rusbatch’s vehicle that its paintwork was scraped. Rourke, whom Rusbatch had known at school, had called out something to the effect that Rusbatch would get it. “Not unnaturally he beat a retreat. Unfortunately he beat the retreat too hastily,” Mr Perry said. When he swerved left in Park Terrace Rusbatch said he had avoided hurdles on the roadway beyond Salisbury Street and not a car waiting to turn. At the time Rourke was following him. DISQUALIFIED David Peter Niven, aged 19, a butcher (Mr R. K. Godfrey), pleaded not guilty to a charge that on March 23 in Fitzgerald Avenue he drove at a speed which might have been dangerous. He was convicted, fined $l5 and disqualified for one year.

CARELESS USE William Houston Mathison, aged 64, a clerk (Mr A. P. C Tipping), pleaded not guilty to a charge of carelessly using a motor vehicle in Worcester Street on March 12. He was convicted and fined $l2.

CHARGE REDUCED Michael Alexander Lithgow, aged 19, a student (Mr P. G. S. Penlington), pleaded not guilty to a charge of driving on the Main Road., Mount Pleasant, on April 4 at a speed which might have been dangerous. The Magistrate reduced the charge to exceeding 30 m.p.h. Lithgow pleaded guilty to that charge, was convicted, and fined $39. (Before Mr E. S. J. Crutchley, S.M.) RECEIVING Makahuri Butler, aged 28, a driver (Mr R. J. Allan), was convicted and sentenced to three months imprisonment on a charge of receiving goods valued at $56.88 on June 10, knowing them to have been dishonestly obtained. He pleaded guilty. The sentence is to be served concurrently with a term of imprisonment at present being served.

A youth, whose name was suppressed (Mr G. T. Mahon), was discharged without conviction under section 42 of the Criminal Justice Act on a charge of fighting in the Sheffield Hall car park on June 15. He pleaded guilty, and was ordered to pay $5 towards the costs of prosecution. Godfrey Alan Smith, aged 17, a farmhand, pleaded guilty to a charge of fighting in the car park, and was convicted and fined $5. NAME SUPPRESSED A woman, whose name was suppressed, was remanded to August 15 for observation under the Mental Health Act on a charge of causing a child aged seven months unnecessary suffering by wilfully ill-treating him on July 9. TRAFFIC OFFENCE On a prosecution brought by the Police Department for having no warrant of fitness on April 23. David Ross Watson Robertson-Bayly was convicted and fined $2.

(Before W. F. Brown, S.M.) DECISION RESERVED The Magistrate reserved his decision on three charges against Ideal Products (1955), Ltd, handbag manufacturer, of importing handbag shapes of a total value of $5694. Mr G. G. Parry, who represented the defendant company, entered pleas of not guilty to all charges. Mr N. W. Williamson prosecuted. Mr Williamson said the defendant company Imported three shipments of artificial straw shapes from Japan. They were used to manufacture handbags but were described in the invoice as hat shapes, which

were exempt from an import licence.

Oscar Stone, manager of the defendant company, said that in January, 1966, when he was in Sydney, he inquired about the manufacture of a line of handbags which were popular. He was told they were made from hat shapes and he brought some samples back to Christchurch.

He left the samples with his customs agents and asked what he was required to do to import them. A few days later he was telephoned and was told that they were licence and duty free. He placed orders in Japan and the goods passed through customs and he paid no duty on them, nor was he asked to make a declaration, said Mr Stone. The articles he imported were known as hat shapes or forms and his competitors did the same thing, Mr Stone said. MISCELLANEOUS On charges of failing to furnish returns of income fines were imposed as follows with solicitor’s fee of $6.30 and Court costs of $5 on each charge: Francis Constantine Coster, $6: Eric Morrison, $4: Frederick George Tippet, $10: George Rima Tamaton Tuaine, $6; Johan Kerweij, $l5; Robert Allen Wise, $B. Failed to clear noxious weeds: Sylvia Jean Anderson, $4; Ivan Desmond Armstrong, $4; Eric George Cousens, $4; John Nelson Okey, $4.

Crossed middle line in Christ-church-Lyttelton Road Tunnel: Barry Ronald McAlister, $l5, and pay solicitor's fee of $6.30 and Court costs of $5.