CALLOUS RECKLESSNESS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23054, 3 December 1936, Page 7

CALLOUS RECKLESSNESS

" HIT-AND-RUN ” MOTORIST SIX WEEKS’ IMPRISONMENT (Feb United Press Association! WELLINGTON. Dec. 2. In the Supreme Court to-day the Chief Justice, Sir Michael Myers, sentenced to six weeks’ imprisonment Walter Edward Miller, the wrestling manager, who had pleaded guilty in the lower court to driving a motor car recklessly at Porirua on November 6 and injuring James Leacock, a cyclist. Miller’s driving licence was also cancelled for two years.

“According to a witness,” his Honor said, when passing sentence, “ the injured man was dragged some 10 or 12 yards along the road and the next thing you did was to drive right on, accelerating the speed of your car. These facts show not merely recklessness but callous recklessness that cannot be too strongly condemned. No doubt it may be said that failure to stop to render assistance if necessary and also failure to report an accident are separate offences, but I think that nevertheless failure in these respects is a factor that must, or certainly may be, taken into consideration in estimating, for the purpose of assessing the punishment, the gravity of an offender’s conduct on the main charge. In my opinion, a ‘hit-and-run ’ motorist deserves little consideration. Fortunately for you, the injury to the victim of the accident is not likely to have permanent illeffects and I shall certainly take that into consideration in assessing the degree of punishment which must be imposed upon you. “ The sentence of the court is that you be imprisoned for a period of six weeks, with a recommendation that you be treated as a prisoner of the first division,” concluded his Honor. “In addition to that your existing driving licence must be suspended for the remainder of its term, and in addition it is declared that you he disqualified from obtaining a motor driver’s licence for a period of two years after the expiration of the term of the current licence. I think the punishment imposed is sufficient to meet the case and to afford a deterrent lesson to other motorists which is required.”