DRUNK IN BACK SEAT

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 19, 24 January 1939, Page 5

DRUNK IN BACK SEAT

BOY OF TWELVE IN FRONT

PROSECUTION SUCCEEDS

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

DUNEDIN, January 23.

Found on Saturday night by a traffic inspector in Carroll Street sitting in the back seat of his motor-car, Herbert John -Loiisley was ordered from the vehicle and certified by a doctor as being drunk. Lousley, who was represented by Mr. A. G. Neill, admitted the charge.

Sergeant Lean said that the traffic inspector found the defendant in the back seat of the car and his son (12 years of age) in the front seat. Lousley said that he himself owned the vehicle, but his son was driving it. It was a considerable time before the inspector could coax the defendant out of the car. He was examined at the police station by Dr. Wilson and certified as being unfit to drive. There were three bottles of beer, a bottle of gin, and a bottle of ginger ale in the vehicle.

Mr. Neill sair 1 that both Lousley's sons had been taught to drive, though the younger one was not eligible to hold a driver's licence because of his age.

The defendant had not driven at any stage on Saturday, and in the evening he had got his son to take him to a' friend's home. ' This was a class oi case distinct from the ordinary, for had Lousley's son held a licence there probably would not have been this charge.

The Magistrate said there was no reason to disbelieve the explanation that Lousley was being driven by his young son. This was certainly not an ordinary case, the defendant being in the back seat. However, he was in charge of the vehicle, and apparently he was in such a state that he might have insisted on driving. He should not have been in the vehicle at all.

Lousley was fined £10 and costs £3 2s, and his licence was cancelled for three months.