EXPENSIVE JOY RIDE

Southland Times, Issue 20537, 13 July 1928, Page 3

EXPENSIVE JOY RIDE

CREDIT BY FRAUD. THREE WEEKS’ IMPRISONMENT. It will take Thomas Hussey three weeks to atone for the delights of a nocturnal motor car jaunt round Southland, extend-' ing from Invercargill to Nightcaps, and he will probably keep a wary eye on taxis for a much longer period. He appeared in the Police Court yesterday morning before Mr G. Cruickshank, S.M., on remand, and was charged with obtaining credit to the extent of £5 6/6 by fraud from Hugh Thomas Jones, a taxidriver. Mr Gordon Reed appeared for accused and Detective-Sergeant Hewitt conducted the prosecution. * Outlining the case the Detective-Sergeant said that on the evening of Saturday, June 2, Hussey rang for a taxi from a telephone box at the corner of Herbert street. Jones took a car down and found accused and another man there. Acting under Hussey’s instructions he drove them to Thornbury. Hussey then asked to be driven to his sister’s place, and from there to Nightcaps. They returned to Invercargill by a different route, arriving finally at Hussey’s home at Seaward Bush. On arrival there, the other man left, and Hussey said he had no money, instructing the taxi driver to come back next day. When the taxi driver called the following day Hussey refused to pay, saying that the other man was responsible for the car though he was quite prepared to pay half the cost. The Detective-Sergeant concluded by saying that from what the police knew of Hussey, he had no intention of paying. Hugh Thomas Jones, the taxi driver, gave his story of the evening. He had picked up Hussey and the other man at Herbert street and on Hussey’s orders had driven them to Thornbury, then to Fairfax, and on to Nightcaps, returning through Winton and Wreys Bush to Hussey’s home at Seaward Bush. Hussey appeared to be in charge of the outing, and the other man said nothing. They arrived at Seaward Bush at 2.30 a.m. and accused asked witness to return next day for the amount of the fare, £4 17/6. Witness did so but could get no satisfaction. He met Hussey on the street and accused had said he would pay his share. It was not the usual practice to ask for the fare before the trip commenced, but it was understood that anyone requiring credit would have to make a previous arrangement. To Mr Reed: He had never seen Hussey before, nor did he know that accused had been before the Court before. During the ride Hussey had obtained a bottle"Df whisky, but he would not say that either Hussey or the other man was drunk; Detective-Sergeant Hewitt said that when he had interviewed accused he had stated that the whole liability was on his companion, a man named Sievwright. Mr Reed said that cases such as this were turning the Court into a debt-collect-ing agency. The Magistrate observed that this sort of thing had to be stopped. Taxi-drivers could not run people round the country merely for the fun of the thing. Hussey, who gave evidence, said: “As a matter of fact, me and me friend had a drop o’ beer in the afternoon,’ and about 8 o’clock at night Sievwright said, ‘What about an evening? I’ll supply a car. Are you in?’ ‘Yes,’ I says, ‘Where to?’ ‘Anywhere,’ says Sievwright. So Sievwright rang for a taxi.” They went round the country for a joy ride, and were fairly drunk when they started. When they got home he told Jones he would pay half the car fare. Sievwright had got out at Waikiwi. Detective-Sergeant Hewitt contended that Hussey had used the othefr man’s name to get the car, because no taxi proprietor would trust him. The Magistrate said it was undoubtedly a case for conviction and sentenced Hussey to three weeks’ imprisonment with hard labour.