LIQUOR AND MOTORING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19298, 10 April 1926, Page 14

LIQUOR AND MOTORING.

ANOTHER AUCKLAND CASE. NEWTON ROAD INCIDENT. MAGISTRATE INCREASES FINE. A charge of being wider Iho influence of liquor while in charge of a motor-car in Newton Road on Thursday evening was admitted by Andrew Francis Donoghue, aged 50 (Mr. A. J. Moody), in the Police Court yesterday, before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M. Senior-Sergeant Edwards said a constable saw accused driving a five-seater car up Symonds Street shortly after nine o'clock. Ho swerved into Newton Road, narrowly missing the front taxi-cab on the stand there, and the constable jumped on to the running board, but had to order the driver to pull up three times before he eventually applied his brakes. Accused was perceptibly under the influence of liquor and an empty beer bottle and a whisky bottle three-quarters full were found in the back seat. Mr. Moody said accused had been drinking, but the case was not such a bad one as those before the Court earlier in the week. There was no question of excessive speed. Donoghue was a respectable man in business in Karangahape Road and lie was making his first appearance in Court. It was recognised that the corner was a difficult one, and accused's judgment was apparently incorrect in taking it. The Magistrate: That is the trouble. With a very little drink the judgment of these men is not correct. Counsel said he recognised that a fine would have to be unposed, but urged that consideration bo made of the comparison with other offences of a similar nature before the Court earlier in the week, when a fine of £lO was imposed in each case. The .Magistrate: Ho is liable to three months' imprisonment. The fines already imposed do not seem to have been very effective. It does not seem to stop the offence. This man will be fined £ls and have his license cancelled for six months.

Arising out of the case against Donoghne, charges of drunkenness and of wilfully damaging a motor-car to the extent of £l, the property of Ernest Goodman, were preferred against George Frae], aged 32. It was stated by the police that Frael was in the back seat of Donoghue's car when arrested. lie was considerably under tho influence of drink, and when taken to a taxi nearby persisted in taking a largo dog, which was with him, into the car. The animal was sitting on the step, but accused grasped it by the neck and tried to pull it inside. This caused the dog to claw at tho side of the car, which had been newly painted, and the body was scraped considerably. A fine of 10s, in default 43 hours' imprisonment, was imposed on the first charge, and accused was convicted and ordered to make good the damage on tho second. ' "CONVICTION AT WELLINGTON. A FINE OF £lO IMPOSED. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON. Friday. Frederick Herring was fined £lO today for being drunk in charge of a car. Ilu was described as practically a teetotaller who had been drinking with some country friends. As it was his first offence his license was not endorsed. Accused had run into and injured a pedestrian.