DRIVER FINED £20

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22618, 5 January 1937, Page 11

DRIVER FINED £2O

INTOXICATION CHARGE LICENCE DEALT WITH CAR ZtG-ZAGGED ON ROAD NEW YEAR CELEBRATIONS A fine of £2O and the cancellation of his driving licence for a year were imposed upon Bertram Wait©, painting contractor, aged 51, when he appeared before Sir. C. R. Orr Walker, S.M., in the Police Court yesterday, admitting a charge of driving a motorcar in Dominion Road, on Saturday while in a state of intoxication. Sub-Inspector Fox said a traffic inspector was driving from the city along Dominion Road at 6.15 p.m. on Saturday, when he observed accused seated at the wheel of an oncoming car, which was being driven in an erratic manner. Turning round, the inspector followed for three-quarters of a mile, the other cAr continuing to zig-zag in the centre of the road. Stripped Gears of Car The inspector ordered accused to stop, and questioned him, before telling him ho was not in a fit state to be driving a car, continued Mr. Fox. While attempting to drive on, accused swerved the car across the road, and s-tripped the gears, making it impossible to drive the car any further. A constable appeared and arrested accused, who was quite reasonable, getting into the traffic inspector's car and being driven to the police station. A doctor certified that he was not fit to drive. Accused had not previously come under the notice of tha police. "The trouble arose over some New Year celebrations," said Mr. Meek, counsel for accused. "At 3.30 on Saturday afternoon, accused met two sailor boys and another man, whom he invited out to his home, where they all had a few drinks. No liquor was taken at a,ny hotel, as they stayed at the house until about 6 p.m. The house is some distance from the tram, and his desire to be the perfect host and drive his guests to town outweighed accused's judgment." Suspension of Licence Accused was a married man. who was extremely sorry for the disgrace he had brought on his family, counsel said. He conducted a small business' as a painting contractor, for which his car was an absolute necessity to him, counsel added, pleading that his licenca should be spared. Without comment, the magistrate imposed the fine, and ordered that accused's licence should be suspended for the balance of its term, and that he should be prohibited from holding one for 12 months.

FARMER CONVICTED COMMENT FROM THE BENCH [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION"] ELTHAM, Monday A farmer, Norman Fryday, aged 28, single, of Ngaere, appeared in the Police Court this morning on a charge of being intoxicated while in charge of a motorcar at Eltham on Saturday evening. He was cbnvicted and fined £lO, with costs, and his licence was suspended for six months. Accused's request for the suppression of his name was refused, the Bench, Messrs. F. Rush and F. Coward, J.P.'g. pointing out that publication of his name Avas part of his punishment. Reference was also made to the frequency of similar cases and the exemplary sentences passed by magistrates in other places. CAR'S ERRATIC COURSE MAGISTRATE'S COURT SEQUEL [BY TELEGRAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION] CHRISTCHURCH, Monday Because he was driving erratically and his car was wobbling from side to side on the road, Francis Joseph Kerr was followed from Hurunui. to Waikari, a distance of 10 miles, by Constable Hook. When he finally stopped at a hotel, Kerr was arrested, and he appeared in the Magistrate's Court this morning charged with being intoxicated while in charge of a motor-car. Accused was fined £25 and costs, his licence was cancelled and-endorsed, and lie was declared unfit to hold another for 18 months. Default was fixed at one month's hard labour by Mr. E. C. Levvey, S.M. Senior Sergeant Calwell said that Constable Hook had been unable to overtake accused because his car was wobbling from side to side. Counsel said accused liad had five shandies, but it was not a bad case. "What? Driving on the road so thai you cannot pass him is not a bad case? Think again," said the magistrate.