BAD COMBINATION

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 119, 22 May 1930, Page 10

BAD COMBINATION

DRINK AND A MOTOR TRUCK

After being convicted, for the second time, of having been in a state of intoxication -while in charge of a motor-truck, William Todd, ' a bottle-hawker, in the Magistrate's Court at Petone yesterday, disclaimed any desire ever to have a driver's licence again. He said lie would sell his truck and carry on business) with a horse and cart.

When Todd appeared to answer his charge of intoxication .'while in charge of a motor vehicle and a charge of dangerous driving, ho had no solicitor,^ and to the Magistrate's advice that as the charges were serious he had better get one, lie replied, "You don't think I'll get one without any money, do you?" to the great amusement of the solicitors in Court. However, when he appeared later in the day to plead not guilty to both charges, he was deefnded by Mr. S. C. Childs.

The evidence of a bus driver, Joseph Maclean, who at 5.45 p.m. on 30th April was sitting in his bus:at the Petone railway station, showed that at that time the defendant drove down Jackson street and crashed into a barricade of barrels' at\itsl intersection with Hutt road. He was under the influence of drink.

. Constable JR. Morris stated that at; 7.15 p.m. he visited the scene of the accident and found Todd underneath his truck on the Hutt road. He was then under the influence of liquor. He admitted having had two "handles" of beer in the morning and five in the afternoon, but said they had not affected him. In a statement made at the police station later he denied knocking the barrels over, saying that he had come into Hutt* road-from Petone avenue, not from Jackson street.

Senior-Sergeant E.. J. M'Kelvey stated that Todd had previously been fined £10 for having been drunk In charge of his truck, and his licence was then cancelled for two months.

"I'm a man that can't stand drink," said Todd from the box, and he expressed his -willingness to take out a prohibition order against himself. Cmisidering the defendant's intention to get rid of his truck, the Magistrate (Mr. W. H. Woodward) convicted him on the charge of being intoxicated and ordered him to pay costs, 235. His licence was cancelled for one year,, and a prohibition order was made against him. "I consider he has got off very lightly," said Mr. Woodward.

.. The charge oi: dauger-ousf-driving- was withdrawn. '