DRIVING CAR DANGEROUSLY.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16608, 4 December 1919, Page 2

DRIVING CAR DANGEROUSLY.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON INCIDENTS. FINE OF £lO INFLICTED. -, Some details of a Sunday joy ride were revealed in the Magistrate’s Court this morning when John Bennington, taxi driver, Eltham, pleaded guilty to a charge of driving a oar in a manner dangerous to the public in St. Aubyn Street on Nov. 27. ' "This i sono of the most disgusting oases I have had to deal with,’’- remarked the borough inspector (Mr. E. Day), who prosecuted. He said that in order to, enable the magistrate to thoroughly understand the position he would trace the movements of the defendant prior to the breach of the borough by-laws. He said that on the Sunday morning in question a party of seven left Eltham in defendant’s car to froceed to New Plymouth, via Opunake. hoy got to grips with the publican at Okato and he said they were drunk. They produced beer Horn the car and*drank it on his verandah. Later in the afternoon the party were seen a£ the top of the Omata Hill, drunk and drinking. About 4 o’clock they arrived at the Breakwater Hotel and had an argument with the licensee. They drank beer in the street and played pitch and • toss while people were- passing to and from the wharf and vicinity. At 4.30 the merry motorists left to proceed into the centre of the town, just'as people were leaving Mr. Honeyfteld’s property, whore a band recital had been given. The inspector said there were probably 400 people upon the road and there were also a number of motor cars. He was riding his moto* - cycle behind five cars which were going at about 16 miles an hour, when defendant and his passengers rushed up from behind and passed them, shouting and waving bottles of • beer, some of the passengers standing, up. The inspector started his stopwatch when the car passed Eainsford Street and followed as fast as he could. The car gained on him. He timed it to a stationary car on the town side of Morley Street and found that it had traversed 75 chains in Imin. 61sec. On reaching the centre of the town he found the motor pulled up in Brougham Street by the Bank of New Zealand corner. He spoke to the driver, • who was stupid with drink, but not drunk enough to have the car taken from him. The passengers wero very abusive and disorderly. Part of the road traversed was marrow and there were six bad curves and six intersecting streets.

Defendant said be was travelling at more than 15 miles an hour.

The magistrate, Mr. T. A. B. Bailey, S.SI, imposed a fine of £lO and costs (17s). He intimated that in any further such cases he would double the fine,