WRONG JUDGMENT NOT MADE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17837, 4 May 1926, Page 11

WRONG JUDGMENT NOT MADE.

MAGISTRATE’S OPINION IN THE KARU CASE.

Per Press Association. AUCKLAND. May 4. In the course of his judgment in the Ivaru case, the Magistrate said: '’We are of the opinion that the damage to the vessel, likely to be caused by striking the bar in the manner disclosed by the evidence, would not account for the vessel making no water for many hours, and then, after fourteen hours, when she met heavy weather and a rough sea, making water so fast; that the vessel must have struck a rock on the bar or a sunken log, and have carried a portion of the rock or log in her hull until the heavy weather and sea caused it to be dislodged, when the vessel began to make water seriously." The Court expressed the opinion that the master had exercised the care that seemed to be usual with masters working bar harbours. “Taking the difficulties that presented themselves to him, and the fact that he found his vessel making no water for many hours after striking the bar, although the events showed that it was, in fact, the wrong course, with the facts he had before him upon which to decide we cannot say he was wrong in his judgment.”