CAR NUMBERS CHANGED

Southland Times, Issue 20613, 11 October 1928, Page 5

CAR NUMBERS CHANGED

ECHO OF SPEEDING CASE. WRONG DEFENDANT SERVED. An echo of the North Road speeding cases was heard in the Police Crout yesterday morning, before Mr G. Cruickshank, S.M., when Todd Bros, Ltd., and Gustave Neilson (Mr F. G. Hall-Jones) were charged with using an unregistered car with a registered number plate attached. Senior-Sergeant Fox explained that when Gustave Neilson was charged with speeding on the North Road he was driving a fiveseater car with the number 149,341 attached. When investigations were made the police discovered that the number plate belonged to a three-seater car of the same make which was in Todd Bros.’ garage with a demonstration number plate on it. The defence was a denial of all knowledge of how the number plates came to be changed. Mr Hall-Jones said that any cars owned by defendants were entitled to be used with a demonstration number as long as they were used on the firm’s business. The only explanation that could be given for the changing of the numbers was that the plates had been fixed to the cars in error. The firm had made every effort to discover how the error came about, but were unable to do so. The firm could not gain anything by knowingly altering the plates. The firm of Todd ’ Bros., Ltd., was not in existence and counsel called the manager of the Todd Motor Company to prove this.

Ivo Carr said that the firm, Todd Bros., Ltd., had gone out of existence and the business was correctly known as the Todd Motor Company. The firm could not possibly gain anything by altering the numbers and although witness had made every effort to discover how the alteration came about he had been unable to do so. The cars had both been painted, but witness did not know whether or not the number plates had been removed when this was being done. To the Senior Sergeant, Carr said that he did not exercise any personal supervision with regard to the number plates of cars. The Magistrate said that he was quite satisfied that Gustave Neilson was innocent in the matter and consequently the charge against him would be dismissed. In the other case the wrong defendant was charged, for Todd Bros.. Ltd., did not exist, therefore the charge would be dismissed without prejudice.