“CASE SMELLS OF LIQUOR”

Taranaki Daily News, 25 January 1930, Page 13

“CASE SMELLS OF LIQUOR”

ATOTOR DRIVER LOSES LICENSE. MAGISTRATE SUGGESTS PATROLS. “This case smells of liquor,” said Mr. R. W. Tate, .S.M., in the Waitara Magistrate’s Court yesterday after hearing evidence in a charge of negligent driving preferred against Halver Anderson. Anderson, accompanied by five others, had collided with another car on the main road between New Plymouth and W’aitara near Brixton at about 11 p.m.: on November 16. The magistrate lined him £5 ■.(costs £2 4s) .and ordered the cancellation of his license for six months. Katherine P. Paltridge, driver of the: car which was struck, said she had been' returning from New Plymouth to Waitara when she noticed Anderson’s car approaching in a zig-zag manner. Witness drove close to the left hand side of the road. The other vehicle approached on the wrong side of the road, moved slightly to its correct side and.’ then resumed its previous course. The accident’ could not he averted. Two df the occupants of Anderson’s car came over and asked how Miss Paltridge’s .passengers were. One who appeared; to witness to -be -drunk admitted it was their fault. The other .man, who was not Anderson, -said he was the only sober man and that he was the driver. Witness -had not’ seen the defendant? then. ' . ' : Marjorie Paltridge,- sister of the .previous witness,' gave evidence on similar lines. Anderson and five others had taken part in a cricket match at Waitara in the afternoon, said Mr. C, E. Monaghan on behalf of defendant. On their leavin<r the ground a tyre of their car had a blow-out so they took it to a garage. The puncture was a bad one and they did not leave until .10.30 p.m. During that time defendant had no liquor, nor was it understood that any of the: others had any. The tyre .blew out ; again at the railway crossing just prior, to the accident. Anderson alleged that his car was hit by Miss Paltridge’s and pushed on to the wrong side of the riohd. They travelled on their correct side of the road,-said Anderson in evidence.; The girls approached along the crown; of the .road and were travelling, he' thought,' at about 25 miles per.hour. On account of his flat, tyre Anderson was driving -very slowly. Stanley Shaw, one of the occupants of Anderson’s ear, who had approached' .Miss Paltridge after the accident, denied admitting responsibility 'for the accident to her. None of them was drunk. In evidence both L. Lethbridge and O.) E. Kinsella told similar stories to . Mr.; Monaghan’s explanation and Anderson’s evidence. Both witnesses stated they “had sat in the middle place of the back seat.” He believed the story of the girls, said the magistrate in summing up. The evidence of the others was a direct denial of all they had said. That two men should say that they sat in the middle' of the back seat was an index of the' circumstances. It was about time people' should be safe when travelling at night.' There should be patrols; this trouble would not' stop until such were introduced.