DRUNKEN DRIVER MENACE

Taranaki Daily News, 1 November 1930, Page 9

DRUNKEN DRIVER MENACE

“JURIES ARE NOT HELPING”

COMMENT BY MAGISTRATE-.

ASHBURTON DRIVERS FUNISHED.

By Telegraph.—Press Association.

Ashburton, Oct. 31.

At the Police Court Wesley Dobson was fined £25 and £5 Is costs for being intoxicated while in Charge of a car, and had his license cancelled for 15 months. He was also convicted and ordered to come up for sentence for negligent driving. The case was the outcome of a collision in the borough on Monday night. The magistrate, Mr. Orr Walker, said accused was fortunate that he had not killed someone, but perhaps unfortunate in not having killed someone, for in that case he Would have gone before a jury and no doubt Would have been let off. Juries were not helping to put down driving by intoxicated motorists. Their decisions were noticeable throughout New Zealand. Fortunately magistrates had the opportunity of endeavouring to stop driving while intoxicated. Robert Henry Mac Lean, charged with intoxication when in charge of a car, was sentenced to 14 days’ hard labour and his license cancelled until January 31, 1932. He was also convicted and ordered to pay. 34s costs, for negligent driving. Accused drove his car through a gate at Hinds.

NEGLIGENCE CAUSES DEATH.

RAILWAY PORTER FINED £l5O.

Wellington, Oct. 31.

In the Supreme-Court Clarence Douglas Hector Orr, aged 24, a railway porter, pleaded guilty to a charge of negligently driving a motor-car at Petone on September 19, thereby causing dhe death of Marco Humphrey. He was fined £l5O and prohibited from driving for four years. , There was another count of manslaughter, but the Crown Prosecutor accepted the plea of guilty on the minor charge. Mr. Justice Blair said Orr was well advised to plead guilty. It seemed to him that the jury must have found him guilty on one or other of the charges. He did not think the cage was one for imprisonment, and he knew from his own experience of juries that they very much resented imprisonment being imposed in such cases unless there were exceptionally grave circumstances. In the present case there was no element of deliberate recklessness, but all the same Orr would have to pay a substantial fine. . -