MR THOMAS SAYS POLICE EVIDENCE IS NOT ENOUGH.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17831, 27 April 1926, Page 9

MR THOMAS SAYS POLICE EVIDENCE IS NOT ENOUGH.

COUNSEL APPEALS FOR DOCTOR’S EXAMINATION FOR ALLEGED DRUNKS. A suggestion that the police should place medical evidence before the Court in all cases in which motorists were charged with intoxication was made by Mr Thomas in the Magistrate’s Court this morning, when he appeared for a commercial traveller who pleaded not guilty to a charge of having driven a motor-car while in a state of intoxication. In the evidence four police officers said that the defendant was intoxicated. three civilians said he was not, and the fourth was not sure about the matter. ‘‘The whole case.” said Mr Thomas, “ may be summed up in the words, * Smelt of drink.’ ” Mr Thomas then addressed the Magistrate (Mr IT. A. Young) : “Your Worship and other Magistrates in New Zealand are inflicting severe penalties for this offence—yesterday a man was fined £IOO and others have gone to prison. These penalties are rightly imposed when there is no doubt about the case. The police are trying to be honest, but every man brought in is pronounced drunk. The only* way out is to have a medical man examine defendants immediately’ they are brought in. The first thing a man should be tol,d at the police station is that he hss the right to be examined by a doctor. “ Now, if y’our Worship goes to a friend’s house, has a drink of whisky, and then becomes involved in an accident, you are liable to be sent to gaol by another Magistrate. Just because four policemen came along to Court this man is in danger Of suffering severely in a way that he may never get over.” “ That is the sort of thing people of New Zealand are up against to-day.”