NEGLIGENT DRIVING

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 59, Issue 229, 30 October 1930, Page 6

NEGLIGENT DRIVING

CHRISTCHURCH 3IAN CONVICTED FINE OF £250 I3IPOSED. CHRISTCHURCH, Last night. Vernon Clemens, married, pleaded not guilty in the Supreme Court to a charge that on August 12, at Templeton, he negligently drove a motor car so as to cause the death of Edward Reynolds and tliereby committed manslaughter. The Crown Prosecutor said tliat the case arose out of a collision at the gates of Paparua prison. The prosecutiou"alleged tliat the fault was tlie accused's on the grounds tliat be was driving too fast, did not liave his car under control and was not keeping a proper looli-out. Tbe victim of the accident was a business inan of 3Vellington. On the day in question he had been conferring with the firm of Adams Ltd. and intended going to the West Coast or Springfield. The accused was instructed to drive the, car, while Reynolds and a representative of Adams Ltd. continued tlieir negotiations in tlie baclc seat. Nine miles out from Christchurch, at the gates of Paparua prison, the ear collided with a heavy lorry driven by a man named Page. The lorry had just come out of the gates. Mr R. Twvneham, for the defenee, did. not call * evidence and the Crown Prosecutor did not address the jury. His Honour liaving summed up, the juvy retired and returned at'ter an ahsence of one hour and forty minutes with a verdict of not guilty 011 the manslaughter count, but guilty ou that of negligently driving so as to cause ihe death _ of Reynolds. who was a- passenger in Clemens' car. I11 fiuing Clemens £25(1, in default six months' imprisoument, the_ Chief .Tustice, Sir IMieliael Myers, said that he was detennined tbat anything that could be done by tlie court to make the roads safe would he done. There was 110 doubt in liis mind tliat Clemens was driving at an exeessive speed past tbe gates of tbe Paparua prison whare the accident occnrred, and apparentlv tlie jury was of tbe same mind. There w*s the fact tliat Clemens was acting under instructions from liis employers, bnt tliat did not excuse tbe offence. "I am going to fine you and tbe fine is going to be a heavy one. I tliink it should be the moral dutv of your company to pay the fine. You will he fined_ £250, in default six months' imprisoument. Persons who come hefore this court and ar© found guilty of this sort of offence, whare loss of life is concerned, cannot expect tlie court to cxtcnd leniency. On the application of 3Ir Twynehani, Clemens was granted until to-day to pay the fine, the judge remarking that he did not wisli liim to spend the night in prison,