DRUNKEN ESCAPADE

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 34, 3 November 1928, Page 30

DRUNKEN ESCAPADE

SHIP’S ENGINEERS ARRESTED

TROUBLE OVER A MOTORCAR Two young engineers from the Malacca came ashore ou Thursday, and having drunk more liquor than was good for them found themselves in the lock-up of the Taranaki Street Police Station, where they spent the night. v The story of their doings was related by Senior Sergeant Butler in the Magistrate's Court yesterday, when the two men, Clifforde George Darton, aged 2tl. and Leslie Summer Ogilvie, aged 24, appeared before Mr. E. Page, S.M., charged with being drunk, and w-ith having attempted to convert to their own use a motor-car valued at £lOO. the property of David Hugh Millar. They admitted the first charge, but pleaded not guilty to the second.

Senior Sergeant Butle. explained that Mr. Millar had parked his car in Courtenay Place on Thursday evening, and when he returned found the two accused in it. Ogilvie appeared to be very drunk. One of them, Darton, said that he was going to drive the car back to the vessel. Millar said that it was his ear, and tried to pull Darton from the car,whereupon the other man took to him. Giving evidence, Millar said that Darton's condition was not so bad as that of his companion. Witness attempted to pull Darton from the car, and after the scuffle that ensued a constable arrived and arrested both the men. Millar was of opinion that the men knew that they had no right to be in the car. When he accosted them the ignition had been switched on, the battery wps running, the throttle had been altered, and the ear was in second gear. Constable Thomasson said that Darton had told him that he was to blame, and that Qgilvie had nothing to do with it. “The car would have been no good to me as I can’t drive one,” was Darton’s explanation, Ogilvie saying that he could not remember anything about the incident

The Magistrate decided to dismiss the charge against Ogilvie of attempting to convert the car to his own use, but convicted Darton, who was fined £lO, in default one month’s imprisonment. Both men were convicted and discharged for being drunk.