£l5 Fine And Licence Lost

Northern Advocate, 5 October 1948, Page 4

£ls Fine And Licence Lost

“With regret I must fine Mr Kelsall £ls and. cancel his licence for one year.” commented the magistrate (Mr W. C. Harley' at the Whangarei Court yesterday, after hearing a charge against Brian John Campbell Kelsall, 28, married, of Whangarei. He was charged with being in charge of a motor van in Bank Street while in a state of intoxication.

Senior-Sergeant J. Sutherland said Inspector Hunter, of the Transport Department, had seen Kelsall’s van proceeding erratically along the street. The inspector followed Kelsall to an intersection, where he stopped. Kelsall was taken to the police station where he was examined by a doctor, who pronounced him to be in an unfit state to drive. NOT DRINKING HEAVILY Mr J. D. Gerard, for Kelsall, said he had never appeared before the court before. In view of the doctor’s evidence he entered a plea of guilty, but maintained that Kelsall had not been drinking heavily, only had about four beers that day. At the police station Kelsall had asked for another doctor's opinion. This doctor, after an examination lasting half an hour, had said that Kelsall was not in a state of intoxication. Mr Gerard said that if Kelsall lost his licence he would probably lose his business. He asked that the licence be not cancelled. . “Nobody knows better than you do, Mr Gerard, that I must cancel the licence unless there are special circumstances,” the magistrate replied. “Special circumstances mean why he happened tc be under the influence of liquor, and there are none in what you have related.”