PLEA OF IGNORANCE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20763, 25 June 1937, Page 7

PLEA OF IGNORANCE

AUSTRALIAN MOTORIST FINED An Austral.an, Gordon R. Hopkins, who told Mr H. Morgan, S.M., hi the Timaru Magistrate's Court yesterday that ’’he was on the place and did not consider it a town at all,” asked that he be cautioned but not convicted on a charge of driving a motor car in a manner which might have been dangerous to the public at Makikihi on May 21. Defendant’s speed through Makikihi was 45 miles an hour, said Traffic Inspector Ashwell. It took him exactly 71 seconds to go through the hamlet. He pointed out to defendant at the time that recently a man had died from injuries as a result of an accident near the bridge, and that there had been four accidents at the spot within the last two years. Hopinks, an Australian, had been in the country only six months and had told the inspector that he was not conversant with the regulations. There was no notice directing motorists to approach Makikihi at 30 miles an hour, and he did not know it was a township, said defendant. He had been driving for 14 years and had never been in trouble before. Six months in New Zealand should have given defendant sufficient time to become acquainted with the regulations, said the Magistrate, who fined Hopkins £1 with costs 10/-.