THOSE TWO SHANDIES

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 28, 30 January 1929, Page 8

THOSE TWO SHANDIES

MAGISTRATE NOT IMPRESSED.

MAN'S LICENSE TAKEN AWAY

"I have heard a good deal of these two Taranaki shandies winch are sufficient to land a man in the police

court on a. charge or intoxication, and I am gutting a, little .tired or it," Thus Mr, It, W. Tate, S.M., in the court yesterday afternoon when he fineM Thomas James, Allen, of Cardiff, £lO and costs (£2 9s) for being intoxicated wb.de in charge or a motor cai-j and cancelled his driver's license for 12 months. On a charge of dangerous driving defendant wag convicted and discharged. Defendant, called by Mi:. Coleman, admitted the, collision had occurred through his fault, but denied being under the influence of liquor. -fie had had no liquor since 6 o'clock that day and then he had only two shandies. The accident occurred about 9.30. His car was somewhat hard to keep on the road, the steering having an inclination one way. He could not account for the prosecution witnesses considering he was intoxicated. He had never before been accused of drunkenness.

To Sergeant Power. —The lights of the other car dazzled him.

Where were you that night.—At

Ngaere. What place?—Walsh's. My two friends had business there. Will you swear you were not bi Eltham.?—Yes.

The Sergeant then asked witness to write down some words taken from 1 -the statement given to the police on the night in question which were in defendant's handwriting. The Sergt. handed the two specimens to the bench.

Witness maintained he did not drink a great deal and said his friends left the car when the accident happened, and he did not know where they went. He wasj cross-examined at length pn his movements between 6 o'clock and the time the accident happened. For a long time) he said he walked about the street by himself until he met Barlow and Martin with whom he "hung about" the Commercial corner. He drove these two to Ngaere.

COMPANION'S EVIDENCE,

William Henry Barlow, a builder, was in Allan's car; on the night of the accident.. Defendant had m liquor while witne.ss< was with him. Sergeant Power. —Were you at the back of the Stratford Hotel at b o'clock that night?—No. You are a sober individual?—Yes. Yet you have been locked up twice during the last 6 months?That has nothing to do with this case. You were locked up twice?—l was not drunk. I only went to a stable at the back of the: County Hotel to get some collars for the cows, and whe.n I came out I was grabbed. When the accident occurred you "faded."—l did;

Across country ?—Yes. I never look for trouble. Why did you clear out?—Well, a policeman had a set on me, and I decided to get out of the. road. You knew the police were coming? —Yes. To Mr. Coleman.—l was quite sober on that night. I would not have done business if I had not been. You got a contract for a budding? - Yes - +u You see Barlow we must expect the dirt to be put in a little. Sergt. Power.—There is no dirt about it. It i.a merely a question of credibility. The magistrate held the charge ot intoxication wa a proved, and remarked that defendant would have been better attending to 1 his farm than going about in his motor car. His Worship inflicted the penalty stated above.. '