ACTORS INJURED.

Waikato Times, Volume 104, Issue 17574, 1 December 1928, Page 14 (Supplement)

ACTORS INJURED.

SMASH IN SYDNEY. GAOL FOR MOTORIST. i 5 The story of a sensational motor i smash, in which Mr Leon Gordon, tho well-known actor, and members of his , company were injured, was told at 1 Darlinghurst Sessions, Sydney. f James Campbeil Paterson, 31, motor t manager, was sentenced to 12 months 1 ( imprisonment on a charge of having, ? by wanton driving, caused bodily harm 1 to Benjamin Lewin. s John Darcy, an actor, said that on July 3, he was driving Mrs Leon Gor- ; don's car along Alison Road, Rand- ' wick, in the direotion of the city. In i the car were Miss May Collins, Mr • Leon Gordon, and Mr Le.win, the latter 1 being on the dicky seat When descending a hill witness saw : Paterson drive his car round the bend at 55 to 60 miles an hour. Pater- ' son's car swung right across the road and orashed side on into the one witness was driving, the impact being terrific. All the members of the party were injured, and were taken to hospital. Paterson was also injured. Both cars were badly damaged. "Paterson's car," added witness, j "was travelling at such a fast speed j that If it had not struck our car it would have turned over." Benjamin Lewin, who is still suffering from the effects of his Injuries, said he knew nothing of the circumstances of the smash. "I woke up in St. Vincent's Hospital j about four weeks after the smash," he j added. Drink Allegation. i The Crown alleged that Paterson J had been drinking on the day of the ! collision, and that, before the smash, ;he was seen laughing hilariously. ! There was another man in the car. In reply to the Crown Prosecutor, Leon Gordon said that, as far as he could see, the driver of the other car did nothing to avert, the collision. "The car came straight at us," he added. Sergeant Frost, of Randwick, said he interviewed several witnesses in order to satisfy himself that Paterson was the driver of the car concerned in the collision. In a statement from the dock, Paterson denied that he was the driver of the car which collided with Gordon's car. He called as a witness Bourne Harvey, garage proprietor, of Allison Road. The latter said he saw a man, who was not accused, stagger out of the driver's seat of the car, of which Paterson was an occupant. Paterson admitted having two drinks that day with a man named Bush, who . invited him to go for a drive in a motor car. He accepted the invitation. Bush drove the car so fast that, at ; times, it was travelling on two wheels. ; "Near Randwick racecourse," added , Paterson, "the car was lurching, and I put my hand out in an endeavour to , straighten it up. The next thing I , knew I was in hospital, critically in- j injured. The jury convicted Paterson, who j then pleaded guilty to similar charges , concerning two other occupants of , Gordon's car—Darcy and Leon Gordon. He was sentenced to a further ( 12 months' imprisonment on each l charge, but all the penalties were ( made concurrent. .