BOYD FINED £50

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22405, 12 August 1947, Page 4

BOYD FINED £SO

WHAKAKI COLLISION LICENSE CANCELLATION DRIVER’S RESPONSIBILITY (PA.) NAPIER. Aug. 12. Before Mr. Justice Smith in the Supreme Court Denby Boyd, bus driver, who was found guilty on four counts of negligent driving of a bus, thereby causing the death of five persons, and on seven counts of negligent driving, thereby causing bodily injury to seven other persons, was fined £SO, in default four months’ hard labour, on the first counts and was ordered to come up for sentence on the remaining counts ,if called on within three months. His present driving license was cancelled and he was prohibited from obtaining another for five years. The judge said he recognised the prisoner’s previous good record as a driver. The evidence showed clearly that he was on the wrong side of the road and that his lookout was not sufficient for the conditions of driving in rain which he met. “From the public point of view the collision was very serious. You were responsible for a grave disaster on a public highway to a bus plying for hire.

“In all the circumstances I do not think I should impose a sentence of imprisonment. On the other hand, I must mark the severity of the disaster and show how great is the public interest in the safe driving of vehicles plying for Hire.”