S.M. COURT

Wairarapa Daily Times, 9 December 1937, Page 10

S.M. COURT

SITTING AT MASTERTON. The following cases were dealt with at the Masterton S.M. Court, Mr 11. P. Lawry, S.M., being on the Bench: — Thomas Wm. Hill was charged with the theft, at Christchurch on 10th November, of a pair of shoes valued at 29s Gd, the property of James Lawrence Connelly. He pleaded guilty. Senior Sergeant G. A. Doggett stated that accused took the shoes from a lodger in a Christchurch Hotel and sold them to a second-hand dealer. He was out on licence and had not too healthy a record.' He had been in custody for six days. Convicting and discharging accused, the Magistrate said he had not been carrying out the terms of his probation order and had better read them up or he would find himself returned to the institution. A. H. Eglinton vcas fined 30s and 10s costs for having overtaken another vehicle at the intersection of Opaki Road and First Street at a speed exceeding 6 miles per hour. Mr. J. McGregor, Traffic Inspector, said he was travelling along Opaki Road and indicated that he was turning into First Street when defendant passed him right on the intersection at about' 30 miles per hour. The Inspector said he had to jam on his brakes to avoid a collision. Albert Henry Taylor was charged with having operated a motor-car with only one light and was fined 30s ahd 10 s c ostS • Inspector McGregor said the defendant had only one light, that being on the left side of the car. There was no bulb and it looked as though there had been no bulb in the light for some time. It was dangerous driving with no light on the off side. Fines for not having warrants of fitness were inflicted as follows: Wm. D. Howells, 10s and costs 10s; Raymond Sanson, £1 and costs 10s; F. B. Knutson, £1 and costs 10s; Arthur D. Weber, 10s and costs 10s; Hector R. Allen, £1 and costs 10s. Ernest Jones was fined £5 and 12s costs for having supplied liquor to a native, Timi Karaitiana, at Te Ore Ore on November 13, a district within which liquor was not to be supplied. Bruce Donald was fined 5s and costs 10s for having operated his jnotor lorry without a tail light. For having no warrant of fitness defendant was fined £1 and costs 10s.

Phyllis Burney Trapp rvas charged that, being the driver of a motor-cat on the Masterton-lSTapier Highway on October 25 she had failed to keep the vehicle as close as practicable to the left side of the roadway. Mr. W. B. Taverner appeared for defendant and pleaded not guilty. Senior-Sergeant Doggett said the charge arose from a collision between defendant and a car driven by E. H. Cambourn, motor engineer, of Masterton. E. H. Cambourn stated that he was travelling towards Masterton and saw defendant’s car approaching. Witness slowed down and pulled well over to the left to give the approaching car plenty of room as it was raining at the time and visibility was bad. When it struck his ear had stopped and was not shifted by the impact. In reply to Mr. Taverner witness said the other vehicle, a baby car, seemed to bounce off his car and turn completely round. There was no doubt whatever in his mind that his car was well on the left side of the bitumen. Evidence was given by Constable C. Eeardon of the position of the cars when he arrived on the scene. Defendant’s car had been moved but Cambourn’s car seemed to be in the same position as when struck, on the left side of the road. Mr. Taverner, for the defence, said the night was one of very bad visib'il-

ity. There was no direct evidence or evidence from ■which it could be reasonably assumed as to the actual point of impact and if there w r as any doubt of the position of the cars, defendant was entitled to that doubt.

Defendant w r as convicted and fined 30s and costs 15s. CIVIL CASES.

Judgment was given for plaintiff in the following civil eases: —C. Smith Ltd. v. R. L. Bla.tchford, claim £5 7s lOd, costs £1 11s Gd; Wairarapa Electric Power Board v. L. E. Smith, claim £3 19s lid, costs £1 10s Gd.