Police inspector fined, suspended

Press, 4 August 1981, Page 5

Police inspector fined, suspended

PA Auckland An Auckland police chief inspector was fined a total of $975 and ordered to pay $240 costs and disqualified from driving for 18 months when he was found guilty in the District Court at Auckland on four driving charges. Ronald Victor Downie. aged 42. of Westmere, had earlier denied failing to stop when ordered by a traffic officer, failing to ascertain if anyone was injured, causing bodily injury to Ross Graham Endicott-Davies while carelessly using a motor vehicle, and failing to stop while the driver of a motor vehicle involved in an accident in which another person was injured. Judge Nicholson said the first issue was the identification of the defendant bv the traffic officer. He said he found Mr Endicott-Davies to be a truthful and convincing witness.

He said the traffic officer saw the driver's face three separate times, two at close quarters. and identified Downie the next day to his superior. Mr Endicott-Davies had never met Downie before and only knew the name of the owner of the car involved in the incident.

The Judge found that the alibi supplied by Downie that he was out sailing was false and that his statement to police must be treated as lies, told to deceive police officers and ultimately the Court. He found that Downie was guilty on all four charges.

Counsel (Mr P. A. Williams) said Downie had been in the police force for 23 years and he did not really need to spell out what the result of the convictions would be. He said Downie had a reputation for honesty and integrity.

Downie had alreadj- suffered a financial loss running into thousands of dollars because of his suspension from the police force* The Judge said it was a very sad case that a police officer with Downie’s fine record should be involved in an incident like this.

The driving was disgraceful and it was fortunate there was no serious injury. On the charge of failing to stop when signalled, he was fined $75. On each of the other three charges he was fined $3OO. On each charge he was disqualified from holding or obtaining a driver's licence for 18 months, these penalties to be concurrent. He was ordered to pay $2OO towards the cost of prosecution. Mr Williams later said an appeal against conviction would, be filed in the High Court.