HEAVY DAY AT THE COURT

Taranaki Daily News, 23 June 1927, Page 6

HEAVY DAY AT THE COURT

MOTOR DRIVING OFFENCES BREACHES OF BY-LAWS AND ACT, CYCLISTS COLLIDE NEAR PORT. Breaches of by-laws and motor regulations occupied a large part of the day at the Police Court in New Plymouth yesterday, when Mr. R. W. Tate, S.M., was on the bench. Pleas of guilty were advanced by Frederick Mitchell to charges of riding a motor cycle negligently on the Breakwater Road on May 2G, riding without a license, and riding at night without lights.. Sergeant Martin said Mitchell was a wharf labourer. He was riding home about 6 o’clock with neither light nor horn. He swerved and collided with a man named Frankton and both men had to go to hospital. Frankton was still in hospital and was likely .to be there some time. Counsel said Mitchell had had the machine a month and had used it only three days before the accident.' He had been to the borough offices for his licence several times, but had i.ot received it, the inspector being out. If the licenses were issued from the same places as the registration numbers he would have had his license. It was difficult for a man on the wharves to spare the time to go up to the borough office. As it was, he had suffered physically and would probably suffer monetary loss owing to the injuries to the other man. The Magistrate said he would take into consideration the man’s injuries and convict for negligent driving, with a fine of £l, 16s costs and £1 witness’ expenses.-On the other charges he would be convicted and discharged.

INTOXICATED DRIVER. At his own request, Thomas Barrett's motor driver's license was cancelled and i.e was stopped from driving for two years and a prohibition order was issued against him. He was also fined £l7 with costs £3 10s. He pleaded guilty to being in charge of a car while intoxicated. The case arose out of a collision with a service car at Rahotu on June 17 at about 5.30 p.m. Counsel said it was a question how much the bright lights of the other car affected Barrett, but he had had drink and so pleaded guilty. He had a wife and two children and his trouble had been his companions. He realised he could not take drink without suffering the consequences and was prepared to ask for a prohibition order and the cancellation of his license.

The Senior-Sergeant mentioned that Barrett was mixed up in a liquor case at Opunake, which had been adjourned six months. “Liquor and motor driving have got to be divorced,” said Mr. Tate. The affair at Opunake was one in which the men concerned had been placed on good behaviour for six months. The ease was a difficult one, for this was the second offence in which drink had been the trouble, and he had to ask himself why he should not send Barrett to gaol. Baden P .Bellringer pleaded guilty to allowing his car to stand in Devon Street without lights on the night of May 25, and he was fined £1 and 10s costs. Henry Albert Farrant pleaded guilty to using an unregistered car on May 19, but not guilty to driving without a license to do so. Farrant admitted the car had no demonstration number on it. His father had bought the car that morning. The Stratford salesman told them they had seven days in which to register. On the first charge he was fined 30s and costs 13s, and on the second he was. discharged and ordered to nay costs 10s.

BY-LAW OFFENCES. W’illiam Henry Besley amitted allowing his motor ear to stand in Currie Street without lights on the evening of May 27. He was fined 10s, with costs 10s. The car had been left there after it had been repaired, said defendant. He had been notified at the time, but, being busy, he had overlooked that the ear was unlighted after dark. “He admitted he was going at 30 miles an hour, but I estimated he was doing 45 to 50 miles an hour,” said Constable Parkinson after Ronald Christensen had pleaded not guilty to riding a motor cycle on the South Road on May 4 without a license, and guilty of traveling at a greater speed than 20 miles an hour. Defendant said he lived at Spotswood, and worked in a garage. He took a license out some time ago, but did not know it had expired. Fines of 20s and 10s costs were entered on each charge. For driving a motor lorry in Devon Street on June 10 without a reflector, Albert N; Hooker was fined 40s and costs 10s.

AT NIGHT WITHOUT LIGHTS. Raymond Chatterton was fined 10s and costs 10s for allowing a motor - car to stand in Carrington Road at night on June 5 without lights. His father appeared and pleaded guilty, explaining that his boy had gone in to milk the cows and had forgotten later to come out and turn the lights on. For having no tail light to show the registration number on : is car, Thomas Reginald Duxfield was fined 2Os and 10s costs. The offence occurred on June 4 in Devon Street. Described as a Masterton school teacher, just arrived, John Francis Johnson was charged with failing to exhibit a front registration number on his ear. It was covered with luggage, said Inspector Blyde, who had accosted the man in Liardet Street. He was fined 10s with 10s costs.

NEGLIGENT DRIVING CHARGE. Arising out of a collision on Sunday, May 8, as a result of which a motor cyclist and lady in a side chair were knocked down at the corner of Eliot and Devon Streets, Frank Umphrey Duckworth, salesman for Newton King, Ltd., was charged with negligent driving. Defendant was coming from Fitzroy. The rider of the cycle was William A. Joll,' farmer, of Waitara. ■Toll gave evidence that when he was about to turn into Devon Street he saw the other car coming from Fitzroy. He related how the collision took place and said the steering head of his machine was bent and the handle bars broken, but neither ho nor the lady was hurt. Duck worth told witness he took the responsibility lor pushing the cycle over. There was no force in the collision as the vehicles had practically stopped. Sergeant Martin said that at the station,, Duckworth said he was to blame,

and when asked if that meant he 'took the responsibility he replied in the affirmative. Duckworth said he was driving on his correct side of the road. When about 215 yards from the corner he saw the cyclist come round. He foresaw that if he continued on or stopped there would be an accident, so he did the nexit best thing and pulled over to his wrong side. The car was practically stopped when the impact took place. He had been driving for 10 years and had never been in an accident before. He considered the course he took was designed to save life. After commending the action of Duckworth in going straight to the police station to make a statement, and discussing the various aspects of the question, the Magistrate said he could enter a penalty for a technical breach only. He would convict for negligent driving and order payment of 20s witness’ expenses. A charge of driving over an intersection at a greater speed than eight miles an hour was withdrawn. Thomas Thompson was fined 10a with 10s costs for allowing two horses to wander in Ballance Street on June 13,