TROUBLE ON WEDDING DAY

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 258, 29 July 1939, Page 7

TROUBLE ON WEDDING DAY

Motorist Has Three Mishaps FINES IMPOSED BY COURT - i By Telegraph—Press Association. CHRISTCHURCH, July 28. Returning from Kaiapoi on the day of his wedding, Charles John Napier had three mishaps while driving .back to Christchurch, and, after striking a tram, continued on home. He was later traced by the police, however, and his driving was the subject of three charges in the Magistrates’ Court this morning. When counsel pointed out that the cancellation of Napier’s licence would virtually separate him from his wife, to whom he had to drive home from Springburn at weekend's, the magistrate, Mr E. O. Lewey, said he would not take away Napier’s licence, but would fine him £5 on a charge of negligent driving and endorse his licence. On a charge of failing to report an accident, Napier was fined 20/- and costs, and a charge of failing to stop after an accident was withdrawn. “The circumstances of this case are very bad,” said Sub-Inspector Packer. “On the morning of the offence the defendant was married and later in the day hired a car and drove his wife and two other women to Kaiapoi. While there he consumed liquor at an hotel and at a club. While driving back to Christchurch he collided with a: cyclist, but did not knock him down. While travelling near Linwood Avenue he apparently lost control of the car temporarily and struck a garden plot in the centre of the street He then turned on to Page’s Road and collided with a tramcar approaching from the opposite direction. The impact was severe, the right rear portion of the car being damaged and the right front door of the tram. A passenger in the car was injured. "Defendant failed to stop at the scene of this accident, but was later traced by the police, and, when first interviewed, said he did not know how the car came to be damaged. He admitted having had eight or nine drinks that day, but said he was not intoxicated. Counsel said defendant was a Public Works Department engineer, who wars at present driving machinery for the department at Springburn. Napier pulled out In Page’s Road to pass some cyclists and a tram was approaching m the opposite direction. Because of an error of judgment by Napier the car struck the tram slightly and Napier drove straight on home. The car had not been damaged much and the passenger had been only slightly injured. The magistrate then fined Napier, and at the request of Mr. Packer withdrew the charge of failing to stop.