COURT IN HOSPITAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21332, 5 November 1932, Page 13

COURT IN HOSPITAL

EVIDENCE OF PATIENT MOTORIST SENT FOR TRIAL CHARGE OF NEGLIGENCE. A sitting of the Police Court was held in the Auckland Hospital yesterday for the purpose of hearing the evidence of a patient, who was unable to attend at the Courthouse. The case concerned charges against John Isidor Weingott of negligently driving a motor-car in Mount Eden Road on August 18, thereby causing the death of Henry Lloyd Dartnall, an elderly man, and in the same manner causing bodily injury to his wife, Sarah Brookholding Dartnall. When the case was before the Court on Thursday several witnesses were heard. Yesterday the only witness was Mrs. Dartnall, aged 69, who is still in hospital. Witness said her home was in Fendalton, Christchurch, and that she and her husband recently came to Auckland on a visit. Just prior to the accident on the evening of August 18 witness and her husband had alighted from a tramcar in Mount Eden Road, near the intersection of Balmoral Road. They took tho usual precautions in looking for traffic, and when the tramcar had gone on they started to cross the road. Both saw the lights of a motor-car coming from the direction of Three Kings. The vehicle seemed to be a long way down the road and witness concluded that there was plenty of time to cross. The next thing witness remembered was lying injured on the road. She could not estimate the speed of the car and had no recollection of being knocked down. She had good sight and hearing, and if the driver of the car had sounded a horn she would have heard it. Her husband, who was 79 years of age, also had good sight, but his hearing was not very good. The magistrate, Mr. W. R. McKean, committed accused, who pleaded not guilty, to the Supreme Court for trial, bail of £l5O being renewed.