POLICE COURT

Evening Star, Issue 25698, 23 January 1946, Page 6

POLICE COURT

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 23. (Betfore Mr J. E. Bartholomew, S.M.) THEFT AND CONVERSION. John Bernard Newman, a labourer, pleaded guilty to one charge. of theft and another of the unlawful conversion of a motor car. Outlining the offence, Senior-ser-geant H. Hogg said that the accused lived below Portobello. Yesterday his car broke down, and he returned to Portobello to ring up a garage. He saw another car standing at the side of the Toad, drove it to where his own had been left, removed a jack and other tools, which he stowed in his own car, and returned the converted car to its original position. The other car and tools were the property of Robert Grey Dick, who had immediately discovered the theft and traced the tools. The accused was remanded in custody until to-morrow for the probation officer's report. NEGLIGENT DRIVING. Arising out of a double collision oh November 12 last at the corner of Ward and Halsey streets, Edward Sydney Cleveland, who did not appear, wae fined £3, with costs (£2), on a charge of driving without due care and attention. Outlining the facts, Seniorsergeant Hogg said that the accused had been driving along Ward street, had swerved as though to go up the railway ramp to the overhead bridge, and then continued along Ward street, striking a cyclist and a pedestrian who had acted on the assumption that the accused had intended to go on up the ramp. Evidence was given by James Bernard Taylor; a pedestrian, who had been accompanying Stanley Latimer when the latter had been struck by the car. This was corroborated by Latimer, and the cyclist, Nelson Hayward, both of whom suffered slight injuries as a result otf the accident. " I don't know whether the accident would have occurred if the witnesses had not all assumed the car wae going up the Tamp," commented the Magistrate. " However, the defendant is, not here to give evidence on his own behalf." He imposed a fine as above. OTHER TRAFFIC OFFENCES.

Arthur Spencer King, pleading guilty to a charge of parking a car in a no-parking area on October 8 last, and another of having no warrant of fitness for the period, was fined 10s, with costs (10s), on each charge. * Rex Lullum Hoffman, who failed to keep a vehicle to the left of the roadway, was fined £1 10s, with costs (10s). CHIMNEY FIRES. On charges of allowing chimneys to catch fire, Ivan Herbert Chivers, Sydney Johnson, Frank Hodgson Robinson, and George Christie Wellman were each fined 10s, with costs (10s). On similar charges, Joan Joel and Nellie May Wilson were each fined ss, with costs (10s), and # Margaret Best was convicted and discharged. DRUNKENNESS. Thomas Augustine O'Neill, a baker, aged 58, was fined 10s, in default 24 hours' imprisonment, on a charge of being found drunk in High street yesterday.