Untitled

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 103, 25 January 1939, Page 8

The normal calm of tlie proceedings in the Magistrates’ Court, Dunedin, was somewhat upset on Friday when the defendant in a motoring case expressed his disbelief of a statement made by a traffic inspector in terms that were hardly as polite as those which usually mark cross-examination by counsel or the police. The inspector was saying that he had given a stop signal, when defendant asked him if he were committing perjury. The inspector denied this suggestion and was repeating his statement when defendant heatedly interjected, “You’re a d liar.” sternly ordered by the magistrate, Mr. 11. W. Bundle, to apologize, defendant replied that he would apologize to the court, but not to tlie inspector. He was sharply told that this would not do, and that an apologj’ must be offered to the inspector as well as to the court, otherwise he would be committed for contempt of court. Finally, after a further refusal, discretion came to defendant’s aid, and the required apologies were made.