MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 July 1938, Page 4

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

TO-DAY'S GREYMOUTH CASES Mr. Raymond Ferner, S.M., presided over to-day’s sitting of the Magistrate’s Court, Greymouth. SeniorSergeant E. Quayle represented Ihe police. Joseph Hazeldine, who was arrested in Mackay Street, on Friday night, and was bailed out in the sum of £2. was fined 10/- for drunkenness, and 30/- for casting offensive matter on the street. Seven statutory first offenders, found on licensed premises during prohibited hours, were each lined 5/-, with 10/- costs. Laurie Wilson, licensee of the Commercial Hotel, Greymouth, was charged that, on Sunday, July 3, he unlawfully opened the premises for the sale of liquor, exposed liquor for sale, and sold liquor. Mr. J. W. Hannan pleaded guilty to the selling charge, on behalf of defendant, and the others were withdrawn bv the police.

Sergeant A. H. Barnes said that he visited the hotel at 4.20 p.m., accompanied by Constable Barr. The bar slide was open, and, in the bar parlour, there were four men, each with a glass of liquor. The licensee admitted supplying the men. Mr. Hannan said that the licensee was as a first offender. He had not been before the Court for the past five years. The S.M. fined defendant £2, with 10/- costs. For disobedience of a maintenance order, Leonard Webb was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment, with hard labour, the warrant to be suspended so loivr as he pays 10/- per week in reduction of the arrears of £4, with the first payment on July 25. . . .

Alexander Gibbs Allan pleaded guilty to a charge that, at Stillwater, on Mav 23, being the driver of a mo' tor truck, he overtook another vehicle, when he did not have a clear view of the road and traffic for a distance of at least 300 feet.

The Senior-Sergeant said that defendant was driving from Greymouth towards Reefton. Early in the morning, near the Stillwater station, he overtook a hearse and a car, travelling towards Reefton for a funeral. The hearse was near a bend when defendant overtook it. At the same time, a motor-cycle came around the bend. The truck was so far out that the motor-cycle had no chance of

avoiding a collision, and his machine struck the rear wheel of the truck. The motor-cyclist was injured, and was off work for about a week. The hearse was travelling about 15 miles per hour and the truck about 30 miles per hour. Nothing previously was known against defendant. The police had been under the impression that he intended’to plead not guilty, and therefore three witnesses had been brought to Court. Defendant said that he blow his horn as he approached the hearse. Had he stopped, ho claimed that the position would have been worse. The S.M. pointed out the risk of breaking the regulation. He fined defendant' £l, with 19/- Court costs and 12/- witnesses’ expenses. Joseph William Baty was charged (1) with operating a motor-truck without a driver’s license; (2) with failing to carry a warrant of fitness; (3) failing to keep to his left in Boundary Street, on June 17. He pleaded guilty to each charge. The Senior-Sergant said that Constable Wooding saw defendant drive along Mawhera n nay into Boundary Street, towards Gresson Street. Instead of keeping to his left, he drove along on the right-hand side of Boundary Street. The street was wide, but defendant should have kept to his left. Defendant said that he had over looked the matter of his driving license. He lived 35 miles from Greymouth, and it was not always convenient to come to town. The neces sary work on the truck, to obtain a warrant of fitness, had almost been completed, only minor adjustments being required. There ,was no traffic in Boundary Street at the time, and he did not think he was doing any harm in not keeping to his left. The S.M. fined defendant 10/-, with costs, on the first charge; convicted and ordered him to pay costs on the second charge; and fined him 10/-, with costs, on the third charge. Defendant was also ordered to pay 2/6 police expenses.

CARS IN COLLISION Joseph Francis Creagh was charged (1) with failing to carry a warrant of fitness in his car, and (2) with having no tail-light on the car. Defendant did not appear. The Senior-Sergeant said that, about 5 p.m. on May 17, defendant \was driving near Totara Flat, when his car broke down. He pushed it to the side of the road, and was endeavouring to repair it. A man named Knowles came along in another car, and turned it around to face in the opposite direction from defendant’s car. A car driven by a man named James then came along, and collided with the rear of defendant’s car, which was standing without lights. The lights of Knowles’ car were said to have blinded James, with the result that he did not see defendant’s car. The latter was knocked along the road for 82ft. The accident was caused through defendant not having a. taillight on his car. At this time, said the S.M., he did not have to decide the cause of the accident. Constable Honey said that, at 7.45 p.m., he received a telephone message from James. He found that James’ car was damaged, and defendant’s car was over 80ft along the road. Defendant had no tail-light whatever on his car, and James complained that that was the cause of the collision. Defendant said that he had a warrant of fitness. Constable Rodgers said that, when he interviewed defendant, the latter admitted that he did not have a warrant of fitness. He also admitted telling Constable Honey that he had a warrant. Witness did not think that defendant ever held a. warrant of fitness. For failing to carry a warrant, defendant was fined £l, with costs, and, for having no tail-light, he was fined 10/-, with costs. Allan Stuart, for failing to carry a warrant of fitness on his motor-cycle, was fined £l, with costs. For driving without a license, he was fined 10/-, with costs. For riding an unlighted cycle after sunset, Hector Lloyd Harper was fined 10/-, with costs. Jean Israelson was fined 5/-, with costs, for a similar offence. Howard Weir, similarly charged, 1 war. convicted and discharged. Defendant, in a letter to the Court, sta- 1 ted that his light was broken, as the I result of a collision with a car. ' William Shepherd, for driving a car - without a license, was fined £l, with . costs. For driving without a tail-

light, he was convicted and ordered On’the’lnformation or Tn.no .Tnspector R. P. Chibnail, the following defendants were charged: David John Greaney, failing to carry an inspection certificate on a, mo-tor-truck, fined 10/-. with costs Operating a truck without a heavy traffic license, fined 10/-, with costs. Alexander Jamieson, failing to entry a warrant of fitness, fined l.»/-. with Norman James Sotheran and James Stone, driving without licenses, each fined 10/-, with costs. . Informations as follow were laid bj Traffic Inspector A. E. Sloss: , John Patrick Blanchfield, no driver’s license, lined 10/-, with costs. Frederick Charles Dense, operating an unlicensed motor-truck, fined 10/-. with costs. Thomas Francis Lord, operating an unlicensed motor-truck, fined 10/-, with costs. Harry Sevb, failing to carry a warrant of fitness, fined 10/-. with costs. OWNERSHIP DENIED Gustav Hahn pleaded not guilty to a charge of allowing two cows to wander on the main road near Ahanra, on June 23. ~ ~ x . Inspector Chibnail said that he saw seven or eight, head of stock wandering on the main highway at 9.25 a.m.. about 200 yards from defendants house. Defendant was not at home, but a person at. the house said that two cows belonged to Hahn. Defendant returned later. He at first denied ownership, but. after some questioning, admitted that he owned two of the animals. Defendant denied admission of owne”ship and said that he did not know to whom the cattle belonged. They had been wandering on the road for about, a month. He said that he owned only two cows, and that they were not on the road. In reply to the Inspector, deiendant described the earmarks on his cattle, and the Inspector said that the marks were similar to those on the wandering cattle. Fred Hahn said that his father owned only two cows, and that, the cattle on the road were bullocks. Some of them were still wandering on the road, yesterday, and they had been on the' road practically every day since the Inspector saw them. On that day, they were put into witness’s paddock, but he later turned them out, as they were not his property. “On the evidence,” said the S.M., “the information must, be dismissed, but I have very grave doubts about it.”