COURT NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 13 July 1940, Page 7

COURT NEWS

DRUNK IN CHARGE OF CAR. (Per Press Association—Copyright). CHRISTCHURCH, July 12. A charge of being intoxicated in charge of a motor-car against Albert Thomas Wood (Dr A. L. Haslam) was dismissed. He was fined £5 and ordered to pay costs tor driving without a license and for stealing the license of Lloyd Croyden Simpson. He was forbidden to hold a license for 12 months.' A statement by Wood, read by Sergeant J. D. Kearns, said that lie had hired a car, used Croyden’s license, which he had taken from Burnham Camp, where he belonged, because neither he nor his friends had a license. He had driven the car to town, where he admitted having had some beer. Edmund Scott Rutherford said that near the corner of Worcester Street and Manchester Street, Wood’s car had left its correct side of the road and struck the car of the'witness.

Inspector L. A. D. Barnard said that he had taken Wood, who smelled of liquor, from the scene of the accident to the police station. After the Magistrate had read the report of Dr F. L. Scott, who examined Wood, he said that he would dismiss the intoxication charge. The plea on the negligent driving charge was then amended by Dr Haslam to one ol guilty. The Magistrate said that he did not wish to regard the taking of the license as a case of dishonesty, but he was concerned that such a practice should | go on.

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A CHEEKY THIEF

WELLINGTON. July 11. “Catch me it' you can, Robertson; 1 am, one jump ahead.—Tom.” This advertisement, which appeared in the “Evening Post,” was inserted by Thomas Edward Winnie, a labourer, aged 28, who pleaded guilty in the Petone Court, before Mr A. M. Gouiding, S.M., to stealing a bicycle valued at £5. Detective-Sergeant F. N. Robinson, who conducted the prosecution, stated that the defendant was drinking in the Grand National Hotel during the afternoon of June 17th. When he left, he took a bicycle from the verandah, rode it about a mile to a second-hand dealer’s shop, and sold it for £l. giving a false name and address. He later got to know that the detective-sergeant was making inquiries for him. Winnie kept out of the officer’s way, and had the advertisement inserted on July 4th. He had a list of previous convictions for offences involving dishonesty. “Now the defendant realises that he was not ‘one jump,ahead,’ ” commented Detective-Sergeant 'Robinson. The defendant was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment with hard labour. :