POLICE COURT, HAMILTON

Waikato Times, Volume 89, Issue 13811, 16 July 1918, Page 3

POLICE COURT, HAMILTON

BY-LAW BREACHES

HEAVY FINKS I.MI'OS ED. (Monday, lief ore Mr E. Rawson, S.M.) For riding bicycles on the footpath, Frank Pone and William Styles were each lined 5s and costs 7s. For riding unlimited Idcy den on the streets of the borough, Leslie Mitchell and Sydney Clarkin were each fined 10s with costs 7s.

F. \V. Kemp, leaving his motor car in Victoria street without head lights was fined ;">s with costs 7s. George Morris pleaded guilty to not having his registered number displayed both on the front and back of his motor cycle, as required by the by-law, and was lined 10s and costs. F. Hemphill, on a similar charge was fined 5s and costs. Hemphill had displayed one number. Mr Swarbrick, who appeared for the prosecution, stated that heavy penalties were not desired, but the Council wished to impress upon motorists the necessity of complying with the requirements of the by-law. A. S. Phelan, of Auckland, was charged with (1) being drunk whilst in charge of a motor car; (2) with driving a motor car negligently. Defendant wrote admitting the charges. The police withdrew the second count and on the first charge Phelan was fined £5 and 7s costs. It was stated that Phelan was on the wrong side of the road, and collided with another car. The Magistrate commented upon the serious nature of the offence, stating that "a drunken person in charge of a motor car was as bad as a mad bull being at large in the streets."

F. W, Thomas was charged "with driving a motor car in a manner dangerous to the public. Defendant did not appear, but forwarded a letter admitting the offence. The police stated that Thomas, who is a dust ice of the Peace, was driving down Victoria street at a dangerous speed. He ran into a pedestrian, knocking him down, but defendant did not pull up to find how the man fared. The Magistrate commented strongly upon the action of defendant, and said he could not understand what sort of people they were who could run into anyone in that way. A moving mass of from one to one and a-half tons would cause a terrific impact, and a sudden stop meant danger to the occupants of the car itself. In order to stimulate defendant's imagination, he would inflict the substantial fine of £o and costs 7s. R. J. Eoss, for driving a motor car at night without the identification mark being sufficiently illuminated, was convicted and ordered to pay costs. The evidence adduced showed that defendant! had repeatedly lit the lamp, which was defective and would not keep alight.