SUPREME COURT Man guilty of illegal driving

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33995, 8 November 1975, Page 7

SUPREME COURT Man guilty of illegal driving

Alexander John Bromley. aged 24, a prison inmate, was found guilty by a jury in the Supreme Court yesterday on two charges of driving at (ireymouth while disqualified. when he had previously been convicted of the same offence. Mr Justice Roper recrnanded Bromley to November 13 for sentence. The jury took 20 minutes to reach its verdict. Mr G. K. Panckhurst appeared for the Crown and Mr M. J. Glue for Bromley,, who pleaded not guilty. Evidence was given by senior Traffic Officer G. W. Hames that he stopped a car driven by Bromley about 8.40 p.m. in Bright Street, Cobden, on November 3, 1974. The car was in a poor' condition, the tail light was not working, and the warrant of fitness had expired Bromley's younger brother, Garry Bromley, was a passenger in the vehicle. Accused had said that his

driver s licence was at his flai in Glasgow Street,} Christchurch. Bromley wasl instructed to return the car; to his parents’ home in! Blaketown. At 9.45 p.m. on the same; day. said Traffic Officer; Hames, he saw Bromleyl driving the same car in i Tainui Street. When questioned. Bromley had denied that he was a disqualified i driver. Bromley said in evidence i that he was due for release! from prison in September, : 1976. He denied that he had driven on November 3, 1974 } and said that he had been a passenger in his brother’s; car. To Mr Panckhurst, Brom-: ley said that his young; brother had been in court in the morning but was not; giving evidence because he had to return to Greymouth. In his final address to the! jury, Mr Glue said that the} .defence did not suggest that: the traffic officer was untruthful but that he was, mistaken. Mr Panckhurst described; the assertion that accused’s! brother had been driving the car as “a cock and bull; ■story.”