COURT NEWS

Grey River Argus, 11 September 1940, Page 8

COURT NEWS

ABANDONED BABY. CHRISTCHURCH, September 10. A gin of 19, whose name was suppressed in-the meantime, was charged with unlawfully abandoning a child under the age of two years. An inquest held concurrently resulted in the Coronel’ finding that an unknown unnamed nowborn child had died of heart failure caused by exposure and neglect. A man described finding the body of a baby, wrapped in newspaper and covered with leaves, in some trees 40 yards from the roadside. Detective R. H. Watt described interviews with the accused and her mother. When told that it was in her interest to have a doctor’s advice, she had replied: “I like doctors at a distance." Mr W. R. Lascelles appeared for the girl, who had been described as 'lonely and distressed.” The whole thing was- the result of her environment. “Yes, it’s a miserable, sordid thing” said the Magistrate. It was stated in the evidence that the girl was accustomed to cycle .12 miles to work and 12 miles bacx daily. On one day she rode to and from work in the ordinary waV,' the next morning after breakfast she and hemother set out to walk two miles to get an ambulance, but the baby was born on the way. It cried I once and they left it, after kicking!

newspaper and leaves over it. She spent that day and the next one in bed; the next day she got up, and on the fourth day she rode 12 miles to work again. The detective skid that the girl had been very frank about everything, once she had admitted it.

Deciding that the girl’s name could be surpressed in the meantime, the Magistrate committed her to the Supreme Court for trial (her plea was not guilty.) Bail was allowed in the accused's own recognisance of £25, subject to her remaining in the care of the Salvation Army. DRUNKEN DRIVERS. [Per Press Association] CHRISTCHURCH September 10. James Albert Cullimore, a linesman, aged 26, was convicted of intoxication while in charge of a mo-tor-car. Sub-Inspector Turner said that a’ traffic inspector had stopped the accused in the open road. Mr R. A. Young said that the loss of licence alone would be a very severe punishment because of Culiimore’s occupation. The traffic inspector had said that it was not a bad case. Cullimore was lined £2O, in default 30 days’ imprisonment; his licence was cancelled and endorsed, and be was declared unfit to hold another tor 18 months. Horace Samuel Burrows, a cook, aged 32, was convicted of having been intoxicated while in charge of a motor-far on August 31 at New

Brighton. Sub-Inspector Turner said that Burrows was driving in Seaview Road about 4 p.m. Dr. A. L. Haslam, admitting that it was his client’s second offence in three years, said that he had been sent to prison last time for hitting the constable rather than for the traffic offence. In this present case Burrows had had some drinks but they were well spaced out, and he was not in a bad state when arrested. Burrows was sentenced to two months imprisonment with hard labour; his licence was cancelled -rd endorsed and he was declared unfit to hold another for five years. , A charge against Darcy Nelson Le Comte, of having been intoxicated while in charge of a motor-car was dismissed. A constable said that he went to Worcester Street where a car was stuck in the gutter, and when the accused arrived with a breakdown man he arrested him, because he was intoxicated. Another constable gave corroborative evidence. Mr C. S. Thomas said that Le Comte had the liquor after leaving the car, and had had none before, on that day. He explained that the accused was a very well known tree expert, and on Saturday last, in the pouring rain, he had been-working on Cashmere Hills. Soaked to the skin he took his brother and assistant home, and when turning in Worcester Street his clutch slipped and he could not get the car out of the gutter. He walked to Scott's garage, and while waiting for Mr Gledhili, the breakdown man, to come there, I

he went and had three rums, because he was still’in wet clothes. He had had no drink beforehand and his workmates corroborated this. The Magistrate said that Le Comte was undoubtedly intoxicated when examined, but there was no evidence to satisfy the Court that he was so when in the car. The case would therefore be dismissed.