FINE INADEQUATE

Southland Times, Issue 25305, 7 June 1935, Page 7

FINE INADEQUATE

MOTORIST SENT TO GAOL. CYCLISTS KNOCKED DOWN. (Per United Press Association.) Christchurch, June 6. The case of Douglas Malcolm Phillips, aged 37 years, a farm labourer, was described by the police in the Court to-day as one of the most serious of the kind experienced in many years. While on probation for a false pretences charge, he came in to the city from the country, hired a car, and drove it to Belfast, where he drank a good deal of whisky. On returning he drove in a most erratic manner and hit two cyclists. The first was a boy, who was bowled over and left unconscious. Soon afterwards Phillips collided with a man on a bicycle and left him unconscious on Papanui road. In both cases the cyclists were on the correct side of the road and with every safety device on their machines. The visibility that evening was good. Phillips was arrested as the result of the manager of a garage ringing up the police. He was drunk at the time. Phillips pleaded guilty to charges of being intoxicated while in charge of a motor car on May 28,’ of failing to report an accident, of dangerous driving, and of breach of a prohibition order. He was sentenced to a month’s hard labour by the Magistrate, Mr E. C. Levvey.

The Magistrate said that in such a gross case as this a fine would be quite inadequate. The accused’s license was cancelled and he was declared unfit to hold another license for three years.