POLICE COURT

Evening Star, Issue 19723, 25 November 1927, Page 4

POLICE COURT

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25. (Before Mr H. W. Bundle, S.AI.) BY-LAW BREACHES. Motorists charged with having no lights wero dealt with as follow:—Alfred Arthur Jenkins and Peter M'Laughliiij each fined 10s and costs; Frederick Craik, Herbert James Hastie, Robert M'Garvic _ Lockhart, William Morris Smith, David William Stalker, and Alfred Vivian Whitta, each fined 5s and costs. For leaving his car unattended for. longer than fifteen minutes Frederick Griffiths Paapo was fined 5s and costs. CHIMNEY FIRE. George Kenwood, for allowing the chimney of his house to catch lire, was fined 5s and costs. DRUNKENNESS. ■ A first offender, who admitted that ho had had “ a sup too much,” was fined 10s, in default 2-i hours’ imprisonment. MOTOR COLLISION. John Hartlaud Pearson (Mr J. P, Ward) pleaded not guilty to having negligently driven a motor car in tho Main road, Bushcy, on November 10. Edward Chilcott said that defendants’ car came around a sharp corner of the road at a speed which witness estimated at between fifteen _ and twenty miles an hour. Witness, in his car, was going seven to eight miles an hour, but, as defendant was in the middle of the road, a collision could not bo avoided. Witness’s car waa damaged, and his mother and father, who were passengers, were injured.— To Mr Ward: Witness slowed down as ho approached tho corner and blow his horn. It was not true that lie lost his head. . 1 Edward Chilcott, father of the last witness, said defendant’s car came at “ a fairly good bat” and on the wrong side. Next thing witness knew ho was at the doctor’s place in Palmerston. Constable Maggin, who examined the seen© of tho accident later, described tho state of tho cars and tho situation generally. Mr Ward contended that it was not a matter for police prosecution, bpt; one for. civil proceedings. y 1 ' '■'/»> His Worship said that if defendant wished to make an application for an adjournment pending th© settlement of tho civil action ho ' would favorably consider it. Counsel decided to go on, ami said the defence would bo that Pearson had driven at a reasonable speed, had slowed down at tho corner, and that, being suddenly confronted by Chilcott’s car, ho slowed further , (to ' fifteen miles an hour), and that Chilcott steered over into. him. Defendant, in his evidence, said he considered fifteen miles an hour was a safe speed to go around the corner. Tho Magistrate: A driver would need to be an extremely careful and experienced driver to go safely around that corner at fifteen miles. Mr Ward said that he would not waste the court’s time in calling further evidence, as none of tho witnesses would say that defendant took tho corner at less than 15 miles an hour. The Magistrate said that after hearing defendant’s own evidence and admission that he took the corner at twenty miles an hour he was satisfice! that he was guilty of negligence. Defendant was convicted and fined £4 and costs (£1 19s).