DOCTOR FINED

Grey River Argus, 23 January 1943, Page 1

DOCTOR FINED

BORROWED CAR FOR HOLIDAY.

WELLINGTON, Jan. 20.

Surprise and resentment at what he said was an attempt: by lhe police to give the case a sinister aspect which it d.d not possess was expressed by Mr. Joseph m the Magistrate’s Court when he appeared for Alfred Bruno Sternberg, a medical practitioner. who pleaded guilty to being an enemy alien in possession of a car without a permit, and was lined £5 by Mr. J. L. Stout, S.M.

Senior-Sergeant Campagnolo said that defendant was a doctor at Island Bay and had a car which he was licensed to use for his professional dut.es in He recently d fit a inbll a’ pei'ftilt'” to" reside at'Raumati South from December 12 to 17, and with his wife and another alien he left Island Bay in a car which he had borrowed. He had no permit to use this car, and he concealed from the police that fact that he was go'nq by far, as he knew he had no chance of getting a permit. He obta ned Hie petrol lor the car oy the use of coupons given to him by its owner.

Defending counsel said that Dr. Sternberg had Deen in New Zealand for ten years and was a naturalised British' subject. He had graduated ai n Scottish university. Counsel said he resented the statement that Dr. Sternberg had concealed the fact that he was going to Raumati by car. He did not know it was necessary for h.m to have a permit for that, although he should have known.

There, was no suggestion, said counsel, that he had used any means at all to conceal his use of the car, which was 17 years old and capable of only 25 miles an hour. Dr. Sternberg’s own car was in use by his locum tenens. He had used only four gallons of petrol, which he got with the coupons given h ; m. There was .nothing sinister in the affair. Dr. Sternberg was a medical officer ’n the Home Guard .and was in a prominent position in the Island Bay E.P.S. It was omy. a technical offence.

A chemist of Island Eav George Vernon M'orice Eason, was fined £2 for aiding the offence by lending Dr. Sternberg Hie car. He oleaded guilty, and Mr. Mellish said on his behalf Hint lie tided in pure ignorance. He owed Dr. Sternberg a ciebt of gratitude, as it was due to the doctor’s promptitude and skill lnat he was alive to-day.