Magistrate praises man in passing sentence

Press, 20 December 1978, Page 7

Magistrate praises man in passing sentence

Nelson reporter A young man who was praised by Mr K. H. J. Headifen, S.M., for having Accepted the responsibility jfor what he had done, was convicted and fined $l5OO i and disqualified from driving i for five years, when he apipeared in the Magistrate’s Court at Nelson for sentence yesterday, ' He is Jeffrey James Hamiiltbn, aged 22. a woodsman, jwho last week pleaded guilty to a charge of causing the death of a companion while driving at Tapawera under the influence of liquor. i For Hamilton, Mr D. J. Maze said the defendant

admitted having consumed a lot of beer before driving, off ,'with three companions. He . submitted that the corner ’ where the fatal accident oc- > curred was a very deceptive ’ one and the scene of a nums ber of accidents in the past. ) It was recognised by local ■ (people,as a deceptive corner, -[he said. s' It was not a case where t ; an innocent bystander was: killed through the actions of ! - a person affected by liquor,; , Mr Maze said. In this in-[ 1 stance, the three compan- : I ions, who had drunk as i much as the defendant, had i to accept some responsibility f for entering a car and being driven by a person who . himself had had too much to t drink.

The defendant had an un blemished record, was quiet: rand unassuming, and his: drinking on this day was 1 ■ quite out of character, said i Mr Maze The Magistrate said that the defendant’s probation reI port was one of the best he . had read for a long time. He was impressed by the police .report of the defendant’s s ; being fully co-operative and f; having accepted responsi- . bilit y for .his companion's ’i death. , ! "This is an unusual thing, i You are one of those rare persons who are prepared to, ’ accept responsibility for what i you have done,” the Magis-, trate said.