SECOND OFFENCE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 47, 25 February 1937, Page 10

SECOND OFFENCE

INTOXICATED DRIVER

FINE OF £15 IMPOSED

Arrested in the early hours of this morning, Francis Thomas McLoughlin, a labourer, aged 46, appeared before Mr. H. P. Lawry, S.M., in- the Lower Hutt Court today charged with being intoxicated in charge of a car. He pleaded guilty.

Sergeant J. W. McHolm stated that McLoughlin was arrested at 12.40 a.m. today in High Street. He had been to a party and was going to his car, intending to drive away, but people in the car remonstrated with him, saying there was a policeman on the other side of the street. He said: " the policeman," and moved into the driver's seat, whereupon the policeman came over and arrested him. He was taken to the police station, where Dr. Dudley certified he was unfit to drive a car. The defendant called Dr. Bolt, but he also certified him as being unfit to drive. The defendant, was convicted for a similar offence in 1932, but apart from this he had not been before the Court before. He was a married man employed as a labourer. The defendant said he had only two glasses of wine at the party and as he had not had a drink since 1932 they had affected him. He would not have driven the car, as there were other drivers there. He was willing to take out a prohibition order. The Magistrate asked Sergeant McHolm what he thought about the question of gaol, and the sergeant replied that as the man was working it would be a pity to send him to gaol. Th 3 last offence was in 1932. When McLoughlin was asked- if he could pay a fine of £15 he said he could not, as he was earning only £4 a week, and if he had to pay a heavy fine his wife and child would have to go short. ■ McLoughlin was fined £15, m default three weeks' imprisonment. He was allowed to pay the fine at the rate of £2 a fortnight. His licence was cancelled to the end of May.