MAGISTRATE'S COURT

Southland Times, Issue 19345, 10 September 1924, Page 7

MAGISTRATE'S COURT

SITTING AT GORE. Mr H. J. Dixon, S.M., presided at a sitting of the Gore Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning, when the following cases w’ere dealt with:— DID NOT. ATTEND DRILL. Captain Brown represented the Defence Department in a case in which W. A. Garrick was charged with failing to render personal service required of him, in respect to military training. Defendant was convicted and fined 40s, with costs amounting to 7s. RACING AND TRAINS. R. Abernethy was charged with driving a motor car along Medway street and failing to slacken speed to a rate of not more than 10 miles per hour when within 100 yards of the railway crossing. He was further charged with failing to stop before coming in contact with the crossing. Mr E. McAlister represented the District Traffic Manager, and in explaining the details of the offences remarked that the driver of the Lumsden-Gore train said that Abernethy drove down Medway street at about 20 miles an hour and crossed the line just in front of the train, which was travelling at six miles an hour. If it had not been for the driver’s prompt action in pulling up the train a collision must have occurred.

Defendant stated that he had occasion to dodge a cyclist at the crossing, and in doing so did not notice the train approaching. When he did he had to open the car out, and he ran up the line to dodge the oncoming train. Abernethy was fined 20s, with costs Ils, solicitor’s fee £3 3s and witnesses’ expenses of 15s on the first charge, and was convicted and ordered to pay solicitor’s fees of 21s on the second. Alex. Stevenson appeared on a charge that when approaching Mersey street crossing he failed to keep a vigilant look-out for approaching engines. Mr McAlister represented the Department, and Stevenson pleaded ignorance of the railway flag signals as his excuse for the offence. A fine of 20s, plus 7s costs and solicitor’s fee of £1 hs, was inflicted. A DANGER TO THE PUBLIC. S. P. Casey was charged with driving a motor car at Gore at a speed dangerous to the public welfare. Sergeant Tonkinson prosecuted, and informed the Bench that defendant was driving his vehicle along Main street at about 35 miles per hour. When approached defendant agreed that he was driving too quickly, but averred that he was not travelling at more than 20 miles per hour. Casey explained to the Magistrate that the speedometer on the car was out of order, and offered this as his only excuse. He was fined 40s and costs 7s,