MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17038, 11 May 1923, Page 11

MAGISTRATE’S COURT.

TO-DAY’S CASES. CHRISTCHURCH. (Before Mr Wyvern Wilson, S.M ) DRUNKENNESS. On chargee of being found drunk two first offenders, one a woman, were each fired IQs. in default twenty-four hours’ imprisonment. ASSAULT ON A TAXI-DRIVER, Benjamin John O’Connell was charged with assault on Ephraim Olsen, a taxi-cab driver. Ephriam Ol.sen, who appeared with a black eye as a. souvenir of the affair, stated that ire drove O’Connell and two other men to Yaldliurst. Upon returning, the men he drove went into Tattersail’s Hotel, remarking that they would return in a few minutes. Subsequently he saw the men scaling a fence at the back of the hotel. Ho gave chase, overtaking O'Connell at Latimer Square. O’OonueH struck him in the eye. The accused cwnss-examinod the witness, endeavouring to show that he had joined in some drinking, and that the black eye was due to a fell in a

“drunken brawl.” This the complainant denied, declaring that he had been knocked down. Senior-Sergeant Lewin gave, evideno© that O’Connell’s record was bad, but that he had not been before the Court, ter year*. The Magistrate said that- from what he oonld gather from the evidence the taxi-driver was largely to blame for what bad happened. If a Taxi-driver cibote te itjtara a- dr>r*km^ ‘party hjto the cbttsatrv h® mvit ft accept responsibility for trm?W© »u«b as had occurred. Ho was an&ift&ort ttosrfc tjlfe affair. wa» more cm attempt tev evade payment ©f fare than on attempt- to commit assault. Had accused's record been clean he would hswra let him off lightly. However,. Ids record showed that- he had h propensity for breaking out vioien-fcly *it aimes. H» would be fined 4-o*, in default seven days’ imprisonment. BY-LAW OASES. For ewcling at night without fa light Rotfcnd Todd was fipod 10* »«d wet*. William Thomas Moore was chained with stopping his motor-oar on the wrong side of kite *wnd yr as convicted and ordered to p'vy posts. A fine of os was imposed in the eaw of Airs Grace Cwnliffe, who had left

a oar unattended. . Oarl Banfield was fined 40s for driving between a stationary tram and the footpath. Henr5 r .Brunton,. Ada Prebble and. Nelson Early were each fined os for cvcling on footpaths. ' Dougins CUridge was fined I.os and costs for riding a motor-cycle without having a certificate of ability. For leaving a motor-car unlighted at night Ernest Dennis was fined 20* Cecil Louisson was fined os for leaving a motor-car unattended. For speeding L. H. Leach was fined

Stanlev M’Fadden was fined 40s for not having a certificate to drive a in o tor-cycle T For speeding Victor James M fvibbon was fined 40s. Charles W. Oborn was ordered to pay costs for e-topping his car on the wrong side of the road. For leaving hi* motor-car unattended Frank O’Grady was fined K>s. John Alexander Ramsay, also charged with ka,vii\g: a motor-oar unattended. was fined 10s. For not. possessing a certificate to ride a motor-cycle Eric R-ice was fined 10s. . Austin Read, for having permuitea a paussanger to ride on ’the door of his taxtwff. was fined 7s. William C. Sanders was fined 10s for a 13owing an omnifrus to remain iti a public place unattesadiod. Hugh D. Si»gieto« fined TOs for driving i> major-cycle not showing identification marks. Frederick A. Smith, for leaving a motor-cat* unattended., was fined 10*. <Jeoil Stewart. charged with driving a motor-cyole w'itboist identification marks, was ordered to pay costs. Albert Thompson was filled lOs for leaving; a motor : car unattoiided. Mrs Eileen Josephine Wood waa fined 5s for leaving a motor-car unattended. William Curtis, for speeding a motor-oyole over a street intersection, was fi-ned 40s. George Forsyth (Mr C. V. QuigleyL charged with leaving a motor-car in Gloucester firtreet, explained that be umlerstood the place where the car was left was a. parking place. The Magistrate oonscideted there had been a, misunderstanding and dismissed the case. George Lewis was charged with driv. ing a. motor-car past n tram-car while passengers were boarding the oar. Defendant claimed that the passengers were on the ear and that when •die motor passed, the tram was not stationary because passengers were not boarding it. The Magistrate «aid the evidence was oleor for conviction and imposed a fine of 40s. A charge against Frederick George Powell of permitting n person to ride on the running boftrd of his mote?'-oar was dismissed.