A BAD CASE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 29 September 1927, Page 5

A BAD CASE

CHARGES AGAINST TAXIDRIVER SERIES OF OFFENCES DRUNK IN CHARGE OF A CAR. (Per Press Association). Blenheim, Sept. 29. “One of the worse cases o, its kind to come before me,” was the remark ot Mr. T. E. Maunsell. S.M., at the Magistrate's Court, in dealing with a series of offences brought against a youthful taxi-driver, named Stanley David Wells, who was charged with drunkenness while in charge of a motor car, breach of his prohibition order and the theft of the razor and strop valued at 15/-. All the offences occurred on the Blenheim-Avondale road on September 5. The accused pleaded guilty to drunkenness and failing to observe the terms of his prohibition order, but said he remembered nothing of the theft of a razor and strop as he was under the influence of liquor. His" Worship was treating this a s a plea of not guilty on the theft charge when Senior-Sergeant Clarkson, who represented the police, produced a signed statement in which the accused admitted al] the offences. The accused was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment for being drunk while in charge of a car and his license was suspended, and he was disqualified from applying for a license for four yea.s, On the charge tif theft he was ordered to he detained at a Borstal Institution for a period not exceeding two years On the charge of breaking his prohibition order he was convicted and discharged.