DANGEROUS DRIVING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27346, 23 March 1950, Page 2

DANGEROUS DRIVING

CANCELLATION OF LICENCES MAGISTRATE’S ATTITUDE An indication that the cancellation of the licences of drivers who were convicted of dangerous driving was given by Mr J. D. Willis, S.M., in the Dunedin Magistrate’s Court yesterday. There were far too many instances of this type of offence, he said, and such a penalty might bring some of the drivers to their senses. He fined Roy Alexander Johnston and Harry Gordon Ramshardt Sedgeley £3 each, with costs (10s), for this offence. The defendants were stated by Inspector N. E. Colville, of the Transport Department, to have given the appearance of racing their cars along Cumberland street at about 55 miles an hour. A motor cyclist, Ernest Clarke Mahs, was fined £5, with costs (10s), for a similar offence Public Warning

The law against carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle was a very little known regulations, said Inspector Colville in asking the court to treat the case of Alfred Ernest Jefferson as a public warning. Jefferson, who had admitted shooting from his car, was fined £2. with costs (10s). “And they wonder how people get shot,” the magistrate commented. Transport Department Cases

Prosecutions brought by the Transport Department resulted in Ronald Major Gibb? being fined £3 10s, with costs (10s), for failing to keep to his left. William James McDowell was fined £2, with costs (10s), for permitting wandering stock, and Russell James Thomson was fined £l, with costs (10s), for failing to display L plates on his motor cycle. William Stuart Le Gal was fined 10s, with costs (10s), for having insufficient lights on his motor cycle, and was ordered to pay costs (10s) for not having foot rests. For having a defective silencer, another motor cyclist, Vernon David Rattray, was fined £2 and costs (10s), and Blennard Samson was fined a similar amount, with costs (10s), for not having a driver’s licence. Hugh William Urquhart was fined £3, with costs (10s), for exceeding 30 miles an hour in a restricted area. City Council Prosecutions

James Bernard Duncan, who pleaded not guilty to a charge of failing to give way to traffic on his right, was convicted and fined £3 10s, with costs (10s). Allan William Inglis Duncan was fined £5, with costs (10s), for not having a warrant of fitness, and Ronald Thomas Easton was fined £3, with costs (10s), for exceeding 30 miles an hour in a restricted area.

For parking in prohibited areas, Francis Thomas Breeze, Cedric Branscombe Marchant. David Charles William Muir, and Ivan Henry Vivian were each fined £l, with costs (10s). For similar offences, Margaret Rae Read and William Stirling were fined 10s, with costs (10s). For parking over the time limit. Arthur Robert Dixon, Desmond Frederick Finch, Leonard Richard Huntley, Maurice Joel, James Calder Miller, Eric John Sheridan, and Mabel Stone were fined 10s, with costs (10s). For a similar offence, Stuart Halt was fined 10s, with costs (12s).

Parking on an incorrect angle was penalised by the imposition of fines of 10s, with costs (10s), on William Berwyn Davies and Mary Lilian Paterson. Elizabeth Margaret Price was fined 10s. with costs 10s), for parking too far from the kerb, and George Henry Stewart was similarly fined for parking facing oncoming traffic.

Fined for Fighting

Francis Denford O’Donnell, aged 19, a labourer, and Thomas Walter Kidd, a seaman, aged 34, were fined £3 each for fighting in Princes street last Saturday night. O’Donnell pleaded not guilty and Kidd guilty. Harold Thompson, a welder, aged 31, pleaded not guilty to a similar charge, and the case against him was dismissed Mr J. G. Race represented Thompson and O’Donnell.

Kidd said he had met Thompson in a public bar, and later attempted to get. him to leave his company. He had pushed Thompson when they were in the street, and after the latter had fallen, witness noticed that he had an artificial limb. O'Donnell had then come at him, swearing. and he had had to defend himself. He had apologised to Thompson after noticing his artificial limb. On Licensed Premises

Seven seamen from the liner Rangitane were each fined £l, with costs (10s), for being found unlawfully in the Criterion Hotel on March 18.