MISTAKEN SIGNALS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume L, Issue 16495, 30 July 1924, Page 2

MISTAKEN SIGNALS.

A young lady motorist. Miss A. McKenzie, was called upon to explain to Mr. Ei. C. Levvey, S.M., at the Magishate’s Court- this morning, why sh© had not stopped, her car when requested.' to do so bv a constable stationed on point duty during to© rush of race traffic'last Saturday.. Mr. D. Chrisp appeared for th e defendant, who pleaded not guilty. Constable McDonnell gave evidence that while he was on point duty lie had given a signal for the defendant to stop and give way to race traffic coining down Gladstone road. He had told her to stop and give her name. After the car stopped a young man came back and gave tlie name. To Mr. Chrisp, the witness said it was not. dark at the, tune. Th© defendant had, not stopped as soon as requested, and lie did not think the defendant could possibly mistake the signal. The breach Was not an uncommon one.

For tli© defence, Mr. Chrisp said it, was- purely a mistake in interpreting the constable’s signal. The defendant thought that the ebnstable's hand was held up as a signal to go on. The Magistrate: I wonder how often I have had that excuse put up during the last twelve months. Isn’t it a little careworn?

Mr. Chrisp said that .the defendant, and 1 other witnesses would show that the constable did not put up his hand. The defendant, in evidence, said that when approaching the intersection she slowed down, and thought the constable sigrtkfJed to her to go on. When passing ih© constable th© latter said, “Get to the other side as quickly as you can.’’ When the constable blew his whistle she stopped immediately. To the Senior-Sergeant, (lie witness said she had observed constables giving signals in other centres, and the on© giVdn her was not the usual one to stop. Desmond Hennessy gave similar evidence as to misunderstanding the signal, believing it to he one to go on. The Magistrate said there had been a. i;urn her of thes© prosecutions, particularly on race-days. In the past lie had been Jenient and accepted the excuses out forward, ’hut he was getting sick of d This will be the last occasion on which he would mfiiet a moderate, periidtv where lie was satisfied—as lie was satisfied —that the constable had been ignored. Defendant would tie fined £2 and costs. ...