AN ERRATIC COURSE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23812, 19 May 1939, Page 5

AN ERRATIC COURSE

MOTORIST ADMITS DRINK SOBRIETY TESTS PASSED POSITION “BECOMING FARCICAL” (Special to Dailt Times) WELLINGTON, May 18. An unusual case was heard before Mr A. M. Goulding, S.M., in the Lower Hutt Court to-day when Gordon Strang Cooper, a sheep farmer, pleaded not guilty to driving a motor car in a manner which might have been dangerous to the public. Traffic Inspector A. C. Crawford said he was on duty on the Hutt road at 2 a.m. on April 9. He followed the defendant’s car going north and, when he was about 100 yards behind, he saw the defendant drive towards the centre of the road On two other occasions on the approach of cars from the opposite direction the defendant cut across the road again and-forced the other cars off the bitumen. Near the Petone Woollen Mills the defendant drove straight at another car and forced it off the bitumen surface. Witness said that when stopped, the defendant stated that he had been drinking, and when he got out of the car he was unsteady on his feet. He was examined by a doctor at the police station and passed through the tests satisfactorily. There were several tests, the most difficult of which was to pick up a pin from the floor while standing on one leg only. The doctor issued a certificate that the defendant was in a fit condition to drive a car and asked the defendant if he intended to drive the car home. The defendant said there was another driver in the car and the doctor replied that it was just as well as the defendant had had too much liquor to drive. The defendant admitted coming close to the third car but denied noticing the others. Cross-examined by Mr H. Biss, who appeared for Cooper, witness said he followed the defendant for a mile, remaining between one and two chains behind. The defendant travelled quite slowly at from 25 to 30 miles an hour The first two cars v'ere forced to put two wheels off . the bitumen and the third car was forced right off. The pin test was a difficult one but he did not think the defendant had carried it out correctly. The test was described. The magistrate: That .5 an extremely difficult test indeed, and, if they use many'Other tests of similar difficulty I suggest that the testing of motorists is becoming farcical.” ,

In evid .ace, the defendant stated that the lights of the traffic: officer’s car in his rear vision mirror daizzled him. He sieved down when he took the comer near the .nil’ as he met the combined effect of the lights in the mirror and the direct glare of the lights ahead . When the approachmg car passed, he found that his rvr was astride the white line. He went through the tests fairly. Richard Neil Nunn, of Gladstone, said he drove to Wellington v ith the defendant and wgs with him most of the day. He himself was a truck driver, but had -no qualms about being driven by Cooper He remembered a car. coming towards them over th. Petone- crossing and remembered Cooper saying that the lights d him licked.”' At the station, the police suggested that witness should drive the car home which showed *hat they had confidence in his sobriety. T.e defendant picked up the pin in a f~ir manner. The magistrate said he accepted the evidence of the inspector as to: the driving of the car and believed ' it was influenced by the defendant’s having had liquor. A fine of £4 and costs was imposed and the defendant’s Her ce was ordered to be endorsed.