MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 March 1943, Page 2

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

SITTING AT GREYMOUTH A sitting of the Magistrate’s Court was held at Greymouth, this morning, the Magistrate, Mr. G. G. Chisholm, Frank’Faulkner (Mr. J. W. Han- , nan) was charged with attempting to [cross the railway line when it was Plot clear. . I Senior Sergeant G. F. Bonisch, outlining the circumstances, stated that ■at 7 a.m. on February 2 defendant i was driving a light truck along Tainui ’street in a southward direction at 'about 15 m.p.h., behind two cyclists, (who suddenly turned to the right. His attention directed to the cyclists, de- ’ fendant did not see the warning lights 1 and his vehicle became involved in a ‘collision with a rail-car for Hokitika, [which was travelling slowly. A passenger in the truck suffered slight in- ’ juries. |' Mr. Hannan said the facts were as outlined and in extenuation stated that it was difficult to pick up the ! warning lights. Defendant had not [ used the crossing for a long time and i was not aware that the bells had been discontinued. I The Magistrate commented that it ' was obvious it was not as easy to pick uo the signal light as a bell, but on that account added care should be i taken. However, in view of the tact 'that defendant had not used the crossing for some time and was not aware ’of the change, also because it was the i first prosecution since the bells had been discontinued, he would impose a ’fine of only £2. with 10/- costs. i William Wilson (Mr. AV. D. Taylor) pleaded guilty to a charge of negligently driving a motor-car. The Senior Sergeant stated that on February 19 a member of the Superior Oil Company, whose car was 'parked outside his residence at 42 High Street, was telephoned and informed that another car had collided with it. On investigating he discovered them locked head-on, with defendant at the wheel of one, suffering , from a severe cut in the head. The American left the scene to secure help and on his return defendant had left the scene. The following day defendant called at the Police Station. He had driven for some considerable distance as far as he could get on the wrong side of the road. When he was examined by a doctor some two or three hours after the accident he was pronounced perfectly sober. Mr. Taylor said defendant, who was aged 71, had been visiting friends and when on the way home had apparently dropped off to sleep. Commenting that the explanation of the accident was not very satisfactory and that defendant would have been more likely to drop off to sleep if he had been on a long journey, the Magistrate imposed a fine of £2, with 10/- costs. TT . Francis Allan Roper (Mr. Hannan) pleaded guilty to a charge of driving a taxi-cab at the south approach to the Cobden bridge in a manner which, having regard to the circumstances, might have been dangerous. . The Senior Sergeant stated that at 8 5 p.m. on February 19 Constable Wilson, who was proceeding across the bridge from Cobden, saw three cars which had been held up by a train start to move from the Greymouth end. As they did so defendant, who was travelling from Greymouth at about 25 m.p.h., did not decrease his soeed, but passed the three cars and almost collided with the constable. He then found the bridge was blocked by a bus. and in reversing almost collided with the cars he had passed. When questioned, he said lie was in a hurry. ■ Mr. Hannan said the front car of the three stalled and defendant thought it best to continue. The Magistrate said it looked as it it was a case of impatience and imposed a fine of £l, with 10/- costs. LICENSING CASES Eugene Thomas Swetnam, licensee of the Imperial Hotel, Greymouth (Mr. Hannan), pleaded ‘ charge of unlawfully supplying hquoi at a time when the premises wereßequired to be closed, also to a charge of failing to produce the lodgers register on demand. . clnt „ r i Senior Sergeant Bonisch stated that in company with Constable Scan lan he entered the Imperial Hotel by ■i side door at 11.10 a.m. on Sunday, February 14, and went into a parlour. They saw three men sitting m front of an open slide, on which were lour Masses of liquor. The licensee e , f hind the slide. He admitted having supplied the liquor, and gave several excuses, none being satrstactoi y. He said that one of them was crew of a vessel and was staying at the hotel, and when asked to produce the lodgers’ book said his wife had it. He went to see her, but returned, sayin« she was out. Next day witness ascertained she had not been absent 11 Mr. Hannan said the tacts were as stated. In view of the fact that the minimum fine on the first charge was £lO he asked if the Benc . h its way clear to convict without a .penalty on the second charge. The person alleged to be living on the premises had stayed there several times and was a friend ol the } lce " 1() , Imposing a line ol £lO, wrtn ru/ costs on the first charge, the Magistrate said he did not feel inclined to enter a conviction without a penalty on the second, because it did look as though the register was either not available for inspection or that defendant did not wish to produce it because it would prove his statement io be incorrect. On that charge he imposed a fine of £2. with 10/- costs. Fines of £2, with 10/- costs were imposed on Michael Wilson, Thomas Woodstock, and Albert Ernest Smith for consuming liquor on licensed Premises (the Imperial Hotel) dming hours of closing. A charge ol b eir L found on licensed premises, preleiied □gainst Wilson, was withdiuwn by tl e Senior Sergeant. , , ~r .. Allan Pattinson and Ronald Waler (Mr. Taylor) were charged with consuming liquor on the Rapahoe Hotel premises after hours and Jonn Dai - well, a former licensee (Mr. Hannan) with supplying liquor in the same circumstances. . , The Senior Sergeant said that two months ago the men had been chai ged with a similar offence in respect to the Barry town Hotel, the Rapahoe cases having been adjourned several times. ~ Mr. Taylor said that so far as Pattinson and Wafer were concerned the Barrytown and Rapahoe incidents were really identical; he enteied pleas of guilty. , . For Darwell, Mr. Hannan, entering a plea of guilty, said he no longer held a hotel license. Pattinson and Wafer were each fined £2, with 10/- costs, and Darwell was fined £lO, with 19/- costs. MAINTENANCE CASE Florence Rita Wainman (Mr. Taylor) was granted a maintenance order against Robert Ernest Wainman, mmer now of Ohura, North Island, at the rate of £2 a week for herself and 115/- a week for each of her two children.