POLICE COURT NEWS

Taranaki Daily News, 19 February 1931, Page 15

POLICE COURT NEWS

CASES IN NEW PLYMOUTH CYCLIST'S LICENSE CANCELLED. DANGEROUS DRIVING- CONVICTION A sitting of the Police Court was held in New Plymouth yesterday, Mr. R. W. Tate, S.M., presiding. Robert Utiger, a young New Plymouth man, was convicted and fined £l, with costs amounting to £1 6s, for negligently riding a motor-cycle on the South Road. In addition his driving license was suspended for six months. L. S. Dutton said he was riding a push-bicycle towards New Plymouth near the Paritutu bowling green when he heard the noise of a motor-cycle overtaking him. He pulled to the left side of the road but was passed on his left side by the motor-cyclist, who struck witness’ cycle on the pedal with the result that he was thrown off and his ankle injured. The motor-cycle skidded and collapsed. A tram was approaching about 20 yards away. He could not identify defendant but he had ♦taken the number of his machine. R. C. Alsop, the tram motorman, gave similar evidence. Utiger, who admitted being the rider of the cycle, said he was watching the tramcar and hot watching the road. He did not see Dutton as his headlight was not very good. Defendant’s own story convicted him, said the magistrate. He would be well advised to sell the motor-cycle if he could not ride it without being a menace to the public. RESERVED DECISION GIVEN. COLLISION AT AN INTERSECTION. A reserved decision was given by the magistrate in the case of Alexander Richard McKay who, as the result of a motor collision at the intersection of Courtenay and Eliot Streets when a month-old baby was thrown io the road, and injured on the head, wes charged with dangerous driving. McKay was convicted and fined £3, with costs amounting to 18s; The magistrate’s decision had been previously reserved pending a civil action between the parties, McKay andA. E. Woodward, Korito. This action n.,d not, however, been brought on. Mr. Tate said he thought both drivers were barely fit to drive cars. Both had a perfectly clear view and yet there had been a collision which should not have taken place. It was apparent that McKay had been travelling, too fast. If information had been laid against. Woodward he would have been convicted also. MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS. Eric Reginald Sharpe, who had been charged in November with driving at 'Omata in a manner that might have been, dangerous to the public, but in whose, case the court’s decision was reserved, again appeared, before the magistrate. The court’s - decision had previously been reserved. The case was dismissed, the magistrate stating that the evidence against the defendant was only that of the old woman he had knocked down, while the weight of the evidence was in his favour. George Leckie, who was charged with being found drunk in Currie Street and with a break of a prohibition order, was fined £l, with 10s costs. He was allowed a week to pay the fine. . . James Banks was convicted for failing to pay arrears of maintenance amounting to £2B 10s in respect of an order made against him, and was sentenced. to one month’s ■ imprisonment with hard labour. The warrant is to be suspended so long as defendant pays current maintenance and 10s a week towards the arrears.