CARRIED NO LIGHTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 749, 23 August 1929, Page 16

CARRIED NO LIGHTS

NEGLIGENT DRIVERS FOUND GUILTY DEATH OF FARMER Press Association NEW PLYMOUTH, Thursday. After a retirement of two hours a jury today found a Maori, Rami Watson, and his employer, Louis Albert Sarten, farmer, guilty of negligent driving so as to cause the death of John Poletti. Accused were remanded in custody for sentence tomorrow-. On alternative charges of manslaughter accused w-ere found not guilty. The charges arose out of an accident on the evening of June 11. when Mr. Poletti, a well-known farmer of Bell Block, was knocked down bv a iorry driven by Watson and killed. The lorry had no lights and it was stated that both accused had known for a fortnight that the battery was out of order. Watson was driving the lorry 18 minutes after the time when it was supposed to be lighted, and Sarten was driving his car behind the lorry in an endeavour to light the way. When the driver of the lorry saw a car approaching he pulled well to the correct side of the road. It was then that he became aware that he had struck something. He stopped and found Mr. Poletti in a dying condition. The jury added a rider to its verdict very strongly recommending both prisoners to mercy.