DROVE WITHOUT DUE CARE

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVI, Issue 23082, 22 December 1944, Page 2

DROVE WITHOUT DUE CARE

Visiting Motorist Fined

Richard W. Hillsdon came to Timaru on Wednesday for the Christmas holidays, had some liquor, drove his car, was arrested and appeared in the Timaru Magistrate’s Court yesterday on charges of being intoxicated while in charge of a car and with driving without due care and attention. Mr G. G. Chisholm, S.M.. dismissed the intoxication charge and fined Hillsdon £2 (costs 10/-) on the other charge. Sergeant E. J. C. Hay prosecuted and Hillsdon pleaded not guilty to both charges. Inspector W. J. Tait, of the Transport Department, said that he saw defendant driving his car in Canon Street at 5.35 p.m. Witness was satisfied that the defendant was not in a fit condition to drive and the defendant’s condition appeared to have been caused by Intoxicating liquor. He saw the defendant cut the corner, called on him to stop without success and then drove in front of him forcing him to stop. Detective S. W. Cunningham said he saw the defendant earlier in the afternoon. Hillsdon was standing on the footpath talking to himself and to anyone who went by. He was verging on the condition of being locked up for drunkenness. His condition was improved when he was brought to the police station and improved further while he was there. Witness described defendant as being “very garrulous.” A report by Dr G. H. Ussher, who examined defendant 20 minutes after he was arrested, was in favour of the defendant.

Between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. he had three “handles” and three glasses of beer, said the defendant in evidence. “I was as sober as a judge. I never get intoxicated,” he asserted, adding that the beer was not very strong nowadays. He had tea at 5 p.m., took his car from the garage at 5.30 p.m. driving successfully through the half-closed doors of the garage and up Stafford Street. He had given way to a truck at the corner of Canon and Sophia Streets where he claimed the truck should have given way to him. He heard someone call out but as he knew no one in Timaru he did not stop, but shortly after the inspector drove in front of him and witness was forced to stop in a short distance, which he did.

“I don’t think that there is sufficient evidence to convict on the charge of being intoxicated,” said the Magistrate, “but at the same time I must convict on the charge of driving without due care and attention.”