CRIMINAL TRIALS

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 21, 19 October 1938, Page 6

CRIMINAL TRIALS

Motor Accident Cases At Hamilton Bv Telegraph—Press Association. HAMILTON, October 18. “There are bills in seven criminal cases before you and one lamentable feature of the calendar is that of these seven cases four embody charges of reekless or negligent driving causing death or serious bodily injury,” remark-, ed Mr. Justice Blair, in his charge to the grand jury in the Supreme Court, Hamilton, to-day. In three of the motor accident cases, his Honour went on, death resulted from the accident and serious bodily injury in the fourth ease. Considering the size of the calendar, these eases constituted an undue proportion of the criminal business. The balance of the criminal charges, continued his Honour, comprised only three cases, and none was of a grave character. Apart, from the number of eases involving negligence, there was ground for congratulation in the calendar s'nee it was entirely free from eases of violence, sexual offences or similarly serious crimes. True bills were returned on all Indictments, accused for trial being:— Charles Shaw, alleged procuring, forgery and uttering; Clarence Desmond Lawless, alleged theft ; Douglas'Wright, alleged theft; Ng Hong, alleged negligent driving; Mervyu Halsey Woolven, alleged negligent driving causing death : Thomas Lewis an'd Joseph Neill, alleged reckless driving causing death.