DRIVER FINED £20

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22887, 16 November 1937, Page 14

DRIVER FINED £2O

INTOXICATED IN CAR OTAHUHU CONVICTION NO LICENCE FOR 12 MONTHS A charge of being found in a state, of intoxication while in charge of a , motor-car was admitted in the Police Court yesterday by Alexander/ James Gray, aged 25, a carpenter (Mr/. Rice). Sergeant J. Daly said accused jvras found endeavouring to start his motorcar outside a hotel about 6.15 p.nj. on November 6. Ho was certified bo unfit to have charge of a car. Mr. Pico said accused came /to Otahuhu that afternoon and had a/number of drinks. The effect of those/and the long hours ho had been workijig caused him to go to sleep in tho can. A friend with him wanted accused to drive the car, but accused doubted his ability to do so, and an argument developed. Counsel said no attempt had been made to start the engine. Police evidence was given that tho self-starter had been engaged and two other attempts wero made while accused was being interviewed. A fine of £2O with costs, 10s 6d, was entered, and accused was from holding a licence for 12 months. , OFFENCE AT MANURE WA "NOT A BAD CASE" "This is not a bad case, although accused was not in a fit state to drive," remarked a Main Highways traffic inspector, Mr. F. Jones, in the Otahuhu Police Court yesterday, when Alfred B. Talbot pleaded guilty to being found intoxicated whilo in charge of a motor-car. The inspector said the somewhat erratic course of a car at Manurewa on October 26 attracted his attention. Accused did not have a licence to drive and was certified to bo under the influence of liquor. In a statement on behalf of accused it was stated ho was not in good health. He had occasionally driven the car while travelling with the owner. A fine of £ls with 10s costs was entered, and he was prohibited from holding a licence for 12 months. "But for tho statement on your behalf the fine would have been more severe," said the magistrate, xMr. W. It. McKean. SUSPENSION OF LICENCE FINE OF £lO IMPOSED [from our own correspondent] HAMILTON. Monday An admission that he had had a quantity of liquor following a wedding was made by Herbert Main, aged 32, a farm manager, of Tirau (Mr. W. J. King), when ho pleaded guilty in the Hamilton Police Court to-day to a charge of being intoxicated while id charge of a car. Senior-Sergeant G. H. Lambert said that defendant was stopped and warned by a traffic inspector, Mr. F. Cook, for speeding, when approaching the Fairfield Bridge. He then immediately accelerated and passed through Claudelands at 55 miles an hour. . Ho was pursued by tho inspector, and was stopped again at Hamilton East and taken to the police station. Dr. F. A. Lamb said that, while defendant was not very intoxicated, he was unfit to drive ft car. Mr. King submitted that the case was a border-lino one. Accused had been to a wedding at Putaruru and had had liquor there. He drove the bridal couple through to Hamilton, and had further drink. He admitted having exceeded the speed limit. Defendant had an excellent character. The magistrate, Mr. S. L. Paterson, said it was clear that defendant had had a fair quantity of liquor. A case was not necessarily less serious because there was no accident, nor because a driver was only slightly intoxicated. The slightly intoxicated driver was a greater menace, because of over-con-fidence. Defendant was fined £lO and Id's driver's licence was suspended until May 31, 1938. CHRISTCHURCH PROSECUTIONS THREE MEN BEFORE COURT [by telegraph—press association] CHRISTCHURCH, Monday Three men, each charged with being found in a state of intoxication whilo in charge.of a motor-car, appeared in the Police Court this morning before Mr. E. C. Level, S.M. Two of tho accused pleaded guilty and were each fined £6, while their licences were cancelled and they were each declared unfit to hold a drivers' licence for 3 2 months. In tho third case the accused was remanded to appear on Thursday.