DRUNKEN DRIVER TO PAY £l0 FINE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18991, 10 February 1930, Page 9

DRUNKEN DRIVER TO PAY £lo FINE.

SPEEDED MOTOR-CAR UP NEAR AN INTERSECTION. A fine of £lO was imposed on Ernest Sydney Bancroft, aged 31, a motor driver, who pleaded guilty before Mr E. D. Mosley, S.M., this morning, to a charge of being drunk in charge of a motor-car. Mr Twyneham appeared for accused. Senior-Sergeant Shanahan said that at 8.30 p.m. on Saturday, the defendant was driving a car with a man named Andrews and his wife as passengers. They were going north along Matson’s Road, and approaching an intersection, the car was speeded up. The effect of the speeding up was that accused’s car crashed into a motor-car driven by a man named Bell. After the accident, a constable noticed that Bancroft was intoxicated. He was arrested and brought to the station. He admitted that he had taken liquor.

Mr Twyneham said that accused was a motor driver, driving a lorry for the Texas Oil Co., delivering petrol. He was at the races on Saturday with Mr and Mrs Andrews, and during the afternoon he had four squash shandies. He had none after leaving the racecourse. There was some indication that th« cqllision was npt entirely Bancroft’s fault as the other car attempted to cut across him. He was apparently to some extent under the influence of liquor. When he got to the station, lie was examined by Dr Crooke and Dr Marks, both of whom said he' had had liquor, but was only slightly affected. ‘“lt is" not a bad case of intoxication,” said. Mr Twyneham. “He had a few drinks, and they impaired his judgment. If his license is taken away he will simply add to the list of The’ unemployed. The punishment would be out of all proportion to the gravity of the offence, and as he may yet have to face a civil action, it may cost him a lot of money.” The Magistrate: Will he consent to a prohibition order.—Yes. “ I will .only refrain from cancelling his license if he will consent to a prohibition order, and will undertake to renew it the following year,” said the Magistrate. “ I don’t want to do his wife and child an injury.”

The accused was convicted and fined £lO and costs, in default a month’s imprisonment.