INTOXICATED MOTORIST.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19760, 10 April 1926, Page 6

INTOXICATED MOTORIST.

COMMENT BY MAGISTRATE. FINES NOT EFFECTIVE. (Per United Press Association.)' AUCKLAND, April 9. “Yesterday and also the dav before fines of £lO were imposed on intoxicated motorists, but 1 think lines are not effective/’ observed Mr F K Hunt, is.M., at the Police Court this morning, when Andrew Francis Donoghue, aged 50, came before him charged with being in a state of intoxication while in charge of a motor car lit night. Mr Allan Moody appeared for accused, who pleaded guilty. Senior-Sergeant Edwards said that Donoghue, at about 9 p.m , while driving his car, had to swerve in order to miss colliding with a taxi. Later on he nearlv collided with a street convenience and he drove on to the kerbing of the footpath. Constable Mackenzie had to call on accused three times before he stopped his car. An empty whisky bottle war afterwards found in the car. Mr Moody said that while a doctor certified that lionoghue was not drunk, there was no doubt that he had had some liquor. However, it was not alleged that Donoghue had travelled at anything but a slow speed. That was a pleasing feature Accused had to make a sharp turn and probably his judgment was not quite correct. It was generally known that cars fitted with ballon tyres were difficult to steer sometimes. Counsel stated that the case was not as bad as the two other cases which had come before the Magistrate that week, and he suggested that a fine should he inflicted rather than Donoghue sent to gaol. In addition to inflicting a penalty of £ls and costs, Mr Hunt suspended Donoghue’s driver’s license for six months.