DRUNKEN TAXI DRIVER.

Otago Witness, Issue 3662, 20 May 1924, Page 73

DRUNKEN TAXI DRIVER.

ONE MONTH’S IMPRISONMENT. MAGISTRATE’S SEVERE STRICTURES. CHRISTCHURCH, May 15. At the Magistrate’s Court this morning Thomas John Anderson, a licensed taxidriver, appeared before Mr H. Y. Widdowson, S.M., on charges of being drunk while in charge of a motor car, ancl with driving a motor car along Colombo street in a manner dangerous to the public. Thomas Penman, a grocer, employed by Frank A. Cook, said that shortly before 6 o’clock last evening he jumped on his bicycle outside the shop at which he was employed, but he had not gone more than a few yards when a motor car came up behind him and ran over him. He was not more than a yard from the footpath. The driver of the car did not sound his horn, and he seemed to bo asleep when he struck witness. Witness luckily was not hurt, though his cycle was badlydamaged. Pie get up and went for a policeman, who got another driver to take the accused’s car to the Police Station. This driver had to assist the policeman to carry the accused into the station. The Magistrate said that the accident was undoubtedly caused by the drunkenness of the man in charge of the car. Being drunk whilst in charge of a motor car was one of the most serious offences that could he committed. Under section 30 of the Police Offences Act- the penalties which could be imposed were a fine of £lO. or imprisonment not exceeding three months. A more dangerous set of circumstances than those in the present case he could hardly imagine, and he did not intend to deal lightly with the matter. He hoped the accused’s license would be taken away from him, in spite of the fact that he had a fairly good record of over 20 years. A man addicted to drink was not fit to drive a motor car. Ho was endangering life and limb. The accused would be sentenced to one month’s imprisonment, with hard labour.