MAGISTRATE’S COURT

Taranaki Daily News, 15 March 1928, Page 13

MAGISTRATE’S COURT

NEW PLYMOUTH SITTING. A sitting of the Magistrate’s Court was held at New Plymouth yesterday, when Mr. R. W. Tate, S.M., presided. For leaving cars at night without lights, Lester Surrey, Phillip Draper, William Johnson and Donald M. Wilson, were each fined 10s, the eosts in the first two cases being 12s and in the other two 10s. On the information of Inspector Blyde, Donald Bird, who did not appear, was charged with riding a motor-cycle with unnecessary noise. The inspector said the defendant’s silencer was defective. Defendant was fined £4 (costs 12s). On the information of Inspector Blyde, N. R. Rangitawa was charged with failing to produce his motor driver’s license when called upon. He was fined 20s (eosts 255). George Key, for riding a bicycle without a light and without a red refiector on the back, was fined 20s (costs 10s) on the first charge and convicted and discharged on the second.

Ada May O’Grady applied for separation from John O’Grady, whom she had married in 1913, and who, for some time past, had failed to adequately maintain per. A separation order was made, respondent being ordered to pay as maintenance £2 10s per week, £2 for his wife and 5s for each of two children, with costs £2 2s. Respondent is to have reasonable access to the children. NEGLIGENT DRIVING ALLEGED. Arising out of, a collision that occurted between a motor-cycle and a motorear at the intersection of Courtenay and Eliot Streets on February 11, a race day, Arthur John Bishop, the driver of the motor-cycle, and Albert John Whitmore, the driver of the car, were charged with negligent driving. Evidence was given by Reginald Day, borough inspector, to the effect that he arrived on the scene immediately after the accident. The motor-cyele, which had Seen travelling along Courtenay Street towards Fitzroy, was lying about the centre of the intersection, whilst the car was a little up Eliot Street towards the racecourse. Eliot Street had just been tarred and blinded and some of the tar and blinding had been scattered into Courtenay Street, Witness, with both drivers, examined the marks. Bishop appeared to have put on his brakes about 15 feet before reaching the intersection and had apparently found difficulty in the loose metal. He admitted that he could have got round towards Devon Street but for the loose metal. Both drivers said they were going slowly, and the driver of the car said he did pot think there had been a collision until some of his passengers drew his attention to it. The car was on its right side of the road. Evidence was given bv Ethel Mary Smith, an eye-witness, Constable Butler, to whom Whitmore had made a statement, and another constable to whom Bishop had. made a statement. The magistrate said that while it was most difficult to understand how the accident had occurred at that intersection, he did not- think the evidence had disclosed sufficient negligence to justify a prosecution under rhe Motor t chicles Act, particularly in view of the fact that the new motor regulations were now in force, though they were not in force at that time.