GAOL TERM.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20603, 2 May 1935, Page 9

GAOL TERM.

Negligence Caused Injury to Girl. JUDGE TAKES STERN VIEW. A sentence of twelve months’ imprisonment with hard labour was imposed upon Samuel Donald Hallidav, who appeared before Mr Justice Johnston in the Supreme Court this morning for sentence on a charge of negligently driving a car so as to cause actual bodily harm. He was disqualified from obtaining another driver’s license for three years. Mr Bowie, who appeared for prisoner, said Halliday had been in ill-health, having contracted gastric tuberculosis during his three and a half years of war service. In December last he was charged before a Magistrate with being drunk in charge of a motor-car. on the same set of circumstances which gave rise to the present charge. The Magistrate took all the facts into consideration and sentenced prisoner to imprisonment with hard labour for two months, as well as cancelling his driver’s license for eighteen months. After serving that sentence, prisoner had to serve another, for theft, and was released last month. Then he was re-arrested to answer the present charge and had been in custody twelve days. “ The other penalty was imposed in view of all the circumstances of the case,” counsel submitted. “ His only criminality was intoxication while in charge of the car, and for that he has paid a substantial penalty.” “How badly was the girl hurt?” asked the Judge. Mr Brown, who conducted the prosecution, said the girl had her knee fractured and was in hospital for some time. The experience was a painful one for her. She had no light on her cycle at the time, but the night was a bright one and prisoner should have seen her. After the accident, prisoner was found to be in a stupid condition. “ He was drunk?” asked, the Judge. ** Oh, yes,” admitted Mr Bowie. “ There are no real mitigating circumstances in the case,” said his Honor.

“ His previous history and the state of h ; s health do not touch the matter at all, except that they should have made him doubly careful. Prisoner is sentenced to imprisonment for twelve months and disqualified from holding a driver’s license for three years.”