WARNING IGNORED

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17143, 27 December 1929, Page 14

WARNING IGNORED

LICENSE CANCELLED INTOXICATED LORRY DRIVER "Obviously you are a poison totally unlit to be in charge of a motor '' vehicle," Mr. P. H. Harper, 8.M., said to-day in depriving Albert Edward Simpson, -7, of his driver's license for two years, in addition to fining him £ls. Simpson pleaded guilty to a charge of being found in charge of a lorry in Lowe street in the early hours of this 'morning while in a state, of intoxication. Senior-Sergeant Wade explained that at about - o'clock this morning Constable Cooper saw someone attempting to start a lorry in Lowe street. He walked towards the vehicle, but saw no one in charge of it. While waiting nearby, however, the constable saw Simpson stagger to the lorry and climb into the cab, stepping on the starter button without noticing that the gears were engaged, with the result that the lorry jumped forward. The accused smelt strongly of whisky, and it was fortunate for him that he was arrested before he started off in the lorry. He was convicted of a similar offence in Auckland on May JS, 1927, and his license was then cancelled for two years. The accused explained to the magistrate that he knew that the lorry was in gear, and had stepped on the starter purposely in order to move it further along the road, having run out of benzine. '' This is 'a very serious offence, seeing that you were before the court previously on a similar charge, when your license was cancelled," said the magistrate. " Vou don't seem to have taken any notice of that warning, and obviously you are a person totally unfitted to be in charge of a motor I vehicle. Apparently you cannot keep away from liquor, and you are a menace not only to yourself but also to the travelling public; a serious accident might easily have occurred." The accused was lined £ls, in default two months' imprisonment; his license was cancelled, and he was declared unlit to hold a license for two years.