DRUNKEN MOTOR DRIVERS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 258, 1 November 1932, Page 5

DRUNKEN MOTOR DRIVERS

JUDGE’S STERN WARNING. TWO YEARS IN PRISON. Stern warning to drunken motorists was delivered by Lord Alness, the Lord Justice Clerk, in the High Court of Glasgow, when passing sentence of two years’ imprisonment on a middle-aged man, Alexander Powell, of Blantyre, who was convicted on a charge of culpable homicide. Powell was found guiltv by a jury of driving his car negligently while under the influence of drink. A passenger in Powell’s car, William Muir, a miner’s lampman, was killed. Addressing Powell, Lord Alness

stated: “A man who is under the influence of drink and is in charge of a motor-car in a public place is a menace to the safety and to the lives of all those in the vicinity, and the public, is right in looking to the Courts to protect them in this matter.” Lord Alness went on to say that his experience and observations informed him that this kind of offence was common to-day, if indeed, it was not increasing. “In these circumstances,” he continued, “it is manifest that as a suitable punishment to you and also a deterrent to others the sentence cannot be a light one.

“I will add that it may bo necessar in the early future, unless this type o

crime abates, to adopt even sterner methods than that which I propose to adopt in this case.” Powell was further disqualified from holding a driving license for four years.