MAGISTRATE’S COURT Three Drivers Fined, Licences Cancelled For Four Years

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31786, 17 September 1968, Page 17

MAGISTRATE’S COURT Three Drivers Fined, Licences Cancelled For Four Years

Three men had their drivers’ licences cancelled for four years when they appeared before Mr H. J. Evans, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court yesterday on charges of driving under the influence of drink. Michael Norman Stevenson, aged 19, a driver, was fined 8125, was ordered to pay a medical fee of $6.30 and Court costs of $5 and his driver’s licence cancelled for four years after he pleaded guilty to a charge of driving under the influence of drink on the Main South Road and Springs Road.

Sergeant V. F. Townshend said that about 10.45 p.m. on Saturday, August 31, Stevenson was driving towards the city on the Main South Road at Hornby when a traffic officer saw him take the bend by Neill Street at high speed. As he did so he overtook a vehicle travelling in the same direction. To do this he went on to the wrong side of the road. Stevenson’s car then came back into line behind another vehicle, braked momentarily, and then accelerated past the vehicle on the left side. His car went into the shingle to get past. The traffic officer estimated that Stevenson then drove at a speed of 65 to 70 miles an hour, veering from the left verge of the seal to the centre line. When approaching the roundabout at the Springs Road intersection Stevenson’s car veered on to the Incorrect side of the road, went up the wrong side of the traffic island, mounted the centre plot, ploughed through freshly dug soil and drove along Springs Road.

The traffic officer who had been following, with his siren and red flashing light going, stopped Stevenson’s car in Springs Road. Stevenson was arrested and was taken to the Central Police Station where he was certified by a doctor as unfit to drive, Sergeant Townshend said, Mr G. D. Turner, for the accused, said Stevenson denied that he had been travelling at 65 to 70 miles an hour and thought his speed was 10 to 15 miles an hour slower. His reactions appeared to be reasonably sharp even if his inhibitions were impaired. He

stopped as soon as he realised that the traffic officer was following him. “You are quite unfit to be on the road for a considerable period,” the Magistrate said. “You are lucky not to be going to prison." HIT HOUSE Pleading guilty to a charge of driving under the influence of drink or drugs on September 7, Terence Robert Hill, aged 22, a clerk (Mr I. J. D. Hall), was convicted and fined $125 and disqualified from driving for four years. Hill’s ear had veered across the road in Carlsen Street, crashed through a concrete wall and hit a house, Sergeant Townshend said. A doctor at the Central Police Station had later certified Hill as unfit to drive. Hill had gone into shingle and had tried to accelerate out of it, Mr Hall said. He was most contrite about the accident, and would have to pay a substantial amount for the damage he had caused. The case was clearly a bad one, the Magistrate said. DROVE AT OFFICER A fine of $9O and cancellation of licence for four years were imposed on Paul Wayne Fisher, aged 20, unemployed, on a charge of driving while under the influence of drink. He pleaded guilty. The Couri was told that about 8 p.m. on September 6 the defendant’s speed was checked at 42 m.p.h. by microwave. When a traffic officer tried to wave him down the defendant increased speed and drove straight at the officer, who had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit. The defendant was later stopped and arrested after a brief struggle and certified by a doctor as unfit to drive. For the defendant, Mr G. R. Lascelles said there was nothing more sinister to the circumstances than a young man who had been drinking to excess. FINED $5O John Stewart Tranter, aged 57, a pensioner, was fined $5O. was ordered to pay a medical fee of $6.30 and Court costs of $5 and his driver's licence was cancelled for three years on a charge of driving under the in. fluence of drink on the Main North Road. He pleaded guilty. Sergeant Townshend said that about 8.15 p.m. on Friday, September 13, a motorist travelling north on the Christchurch to Picton Main Highway came upon a car stopped in the centre of the road at Saltwater Creek. The lights were out on the vehicle, which appeared to have been there only for a few minutes. The motorist pushed the car to the side of the road with the driver. Tranter, still behind the wheel.

Constable H. White of Amberley was summoned, and he found the key in the ignition and the motor of the car still warm. It took two men to remove Tranter from the car. He was so drunk that he was unable to stand up. Tranter was arrested and was certified by Dr. P. B. Maling as being in ah advanced stage of intoxication. For the last Id months Tranter had been treated at the Queen Mary Hospital at Hanmer, said Sergeant Townshend.

“The defendant suffers from a serious impairment of speech and that is why I heard him in chambers," the Magistrate said.

KICKED CANS Seen by a constable to kick over two rubbish tins in Hereford Street on September 14. Douglas Patrick Newall, aged 24, a postal officer, said what he had done “was not an offence in Oamaru," Sergeant Townshend said.

Newall pleaded guilty to a charge of behaving in a dis-

orderly manner, and was con* victed and fined $l5. Newall apologised to the Court for his action. TOOK MOTOR-CYCLE Robin Terrence Maguire, aged 17. unemployed pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawfully taking a motor-cycle worth $220 on September 15. and was convicted and remanded on bail to September 24. Maguire, when stopped by a patrol car. said he had found the machine on the street and was taking it across to a street light to see what was wrong with it. Sergeant Townshend said. STAYED BEYOND PERMIT Michael Jai Lal (Mr A. M. Ireland), pleaded guilty to a charge of remaining in New Zealand beyond the period of a temporary permit. Lal had been granted a threemonth permit in April. 1965. He was convicted and re manded on bail to September 30. Mr Ireland said Lal arrived in New Zealand at the age of 18. and decided to stay and learn a trade, the opportunities for this being greater than in Fiji. He married a New Zealand girl and they now had two children aged two and three. All who knew them spoke highly of the couple, Mr Ire land said. He produced references. Lal had shown great diligence, and was now seeking to hold his family together. An order for deportation had to be made under the Act, Mr Ireland said and he asked for a remand on bail so the matter could be taken up with the Minister of Immigration. If Lal were deported it was likely the family would be split up, Mr Ireland said. His oppor tunities of supporting his family in Fiji would be much less. He had shown himself a good citizen in New Zealand. WILFUL DAMAGE After hitting a car when trying to leave a parking place, .Tames Barry Newlove, aged 26. a company representative (Mr L. M. O’lMily), had got out of his car and kicked the tail-light of the car he had struck. Sergeant Townshend said. Newlove pleaded guilty to wilfully damaging a tail-light to the extent of $l5. He was convicted and fined $5. Newlove had become annoyed because the other car was parked too close behind him, Mr O'Reilly said. He had made restitution. TRAFFIC CHARGES On traffic charges brought by the police fines were imposed as follows with costs of $5 on each charge: Failed to give way to the right: Malcolm John Port, $l5 mo warrant of fitness, $5 and licence cancelled for three months); Theresa Mary O’Neill, $l5. Used truck without endorsed change of ownership papers: Jeffrey George Le Chemlnant. $7. No warrant of fitness: Anthony Thomas O’Brien, $5. Failed to notify deputy registrar of a sale of a truck within seven days: Russell Brian Kerr, $5. Attempted to pass vehicle at intersection: Michael Walter Mark Prenderville $lO and disqualified for three months. Failed to give way at give way sign: Mercy Theodora Austin, $l2 and disqualified for three months.