Category: Magistrates Court

Cannot Drive Until he is 92

For the next decade, 82 year-old David Deacon of Birches Lane will have to forego one of his main interests in his long life, driving. He was banned for that period by the court and in addition to his disqualification, the defendant was fined a total of £14 and had his licence endorsed.

Twelve months ago, Coventry Magistrates ordered him to pack-up motoring until he had passed a driving test. Because of that ruling, Mr Deacon continued his driving but only around his own driveway. But on May 15th his round-the-house enjoyment was threatened when the car was running low of petrol. Temptation to obtain a refill proved stronger than discretion and on to the road he went. On the way to the garage, only a mile away, he had a number of near misses. This resulted in him being charged with four offences. He pleaded quilty to driving in a manner dangerous to the public, driving a car unaccompanied by a competent driver, when the holder of only a provisional licence, not displaying L-plates and driving when disqualified.

Mr Deacon was not in court. He was represented by Mr David Sergeantson, who said; “This is not a case of a man driving dangerously along the road, in Coventry last year, Mr Deacon was disqualified until he took another test and that detered him”. Inspector Albert Cox said that as far as the police are concerned, the proceedings at court were not brought to impose a heavy fine but to determine whether or not Mr Deacon should continue to drive.

When Mr Deacon left home on May 15th to buy petrol, he travelled along Birches Lane at about 10 to 15 m.p.h, swerving from side to side. He was followed by two cars, the drivers of which were afraid to overtake him because of Deacon’s erratic ‘driving’. A little girl on a bike near to Thickthorn Close had to jump clear as Deacon’s car bore down on her. The car stalled in Moseley Road causing following vehicles to brake and stop. One of them tried to get round him but Deacon had, by then, re-started the car and started to moved off. This almost caused a collision.

The accused, the Inspector said, continued along Moseley Road intending to turn left into Thornby Avenue. As he approached the junction, a motor cycle was coming the other way. The passenger on the machine recognised Mr Deacon and warned the driver who slowed down to avoid a collision. Mr Sergeantson said that Mr Deacon first had a motor cycle in 1911 and had been driving cars for 40 years. Of the offences, he said that Mr Deacon was; “An old man, out on the road, who was not really aware of what he was doing”.

It was explained that for the dangerous driving and driving whilst disqualified charges, a prison sentence could have been imposed. But, Mr. W. Maddocks, presiding, said; “We have decided not to send him to prison at his age but to disqualify him from driving for ten years, the fines are only nominal“.

Nabbed Slabs From Royal Showground

A 26 year-old scrap dealer of no fixed abode and his 20 year-old girlfriend were charged at court with stealing 60 paving slabs from the Royal Showground on July 10th. Ivor Taylor was fined £15 and Celia Hamilton of Buxton was put on probation for two years.

Inspector Albert Cox said that the couple owned a lorry and for the past two or three months had been taking goods to the Royal Show site. The Inspector said; “Their lorry became quite well known and after the show had finished they were able to go into the grounds uninterrupted”. He added that the couple were seen loading the slabs onto the lorry by two men, who reported them to police. In a statement, Taylor said; “I realise what a fool I have been and I am only sorry my girlfriend had to be involved”.

Police Barely Caught Them

Eight Coventry youths, aged between 18 and 21 went for a midnight ‘skinny-dip’ in the open air baths in the Abbey Fields on June 6th. They were John Grey (18), Andrew Scott (20), Garry Owen (20), Richard Craddock (19), Roger Mellwraith (21), Bernard Ferris (21), David Winter (19) and Ralph Dolby (21). They were each fined 10 bob (50p).

Inspector Albert Cox said that a police officer heard the boys, five of which were caught plus three who had disappeared into the darkness but they later returned. Inspector Cox also said that there was always trouble of some sort in the Abbey Fields but the culprits weren’t caught every time. He told the bench; “We were able to catch these boys because we confiscated their clothes while they were swimming“. They wouldn’t have got far without them.

Priest Wasn’t Paying Enough Attention

After a collision, a Leamington priest was charged with driving without due care and attention at Bericote crossroads on May 7th. The Rev. James Murphy of St. Bede’s College, pleaded not quilty but the case was found proven against him. He was fined £7 and ordered to pay £1-2s-4d in court costs and his licence was endorsed.

The 17 year-old motor cyclist involved in the accident, Philip Bunting of Warwick, said that he was travelling home from Coventry. As he approached the crossroads he saw a car coming towards the halt sign on the minor road. “I am sure it stopped” said Mr Bunting; “I accelarated but the car pulled out and it was nearly half-way across the main road when the collision occurred”. Continuing, he said “I hit the front of the car and travelled further up the road. I couldn’t stop straight away because my left leg was broken”.

Mr W. Maddocks, presiding, said that the bench knew the visibility was bad at that crossroads because of a hedge and recommended that the County Council should look into the matter. Inspector Cox told the magistrates that recommendations had already gone through as a watch had been kept on several crossroads at the time of the Royal Show.

Two Naughty Boys ‘Knocked Off’ Bicycles

Two Kenilworth boys, one aged nine and the other aged 12, admitted at the juvenile court to offences of cycle stealing. The nine-year-old was given a conditional discharge but the older boy was put on probation for two years. Both stole cycles from outside of Kenilworth swimming baths and then sold them. The three cycles concerned in the case were said to have been disposed of for the grand price of 2s-5d each, bargins!

Dream Rider

For riding his bicycle on a footpath in the Abbey Fields, a 15 year-old boy was fined 5 shillings at the juvenile court. The boy said that he did so; “sub-consciously, I didn’t give it a thought”.

Arrested as They Rested

A tall story was told to a police officer when he apprehended two men in a summer-house in the garden of a house in High Street. “We were only resting” said one of them, 48 year-old Robert Matthews, of no fixed abode. The officer saw to it that Matthews and his 27 year-old accomplice, Reginald Mariner, who also does not boast a home address, were escorted to a place more in keeping with their kind, a cell at Kenilworth Police Station.

At court, both admitted being on enclosed premises for unlawful intent. They departed from court en route for other enclosed premises far less pleasant than those in which they were nabbed, a prison cell. Three months at her majestys pleasure was imposed on both men. For Matthews it will be his 16th prison term. His criminal record was triggered off in 1940 and has since made 18 court apperances. These led to a total of 22 and a half years of convictions, in which he has served about 20 years. Matthews told the bench his troubles began after he was torpedoed during the war, and he added that a man who has incurred as many prison sentences as he had, could not be normal.

The arrest of the two men, said Inspector Albert Cox, was due to the keen observation of an off-duty Coventry policewoman who also lived in High Street. She had noticed them hanging about and kept an eye on them from a window. When they thought the coast was clear they shinned over a wall into the garden where the summer-house was located. She then phoned the police. At the station, Matthews shouldered the blame for the intended escapade. Mariner said he would not have been involved but for the fact that a few drinks had dulled his “sense of responsibility”.

Helped Herself at the Self-Service Store

The court was told, that whilst shopping at the Fine Fare self-service supermarket in Warwick Road, a 58 year-old Kenilworth spinster stole a pound of butter and a packet of gammon. Housekeeper, Lilly Watts of Stoneleigh Ave, pleaded guilty to the thefts. Remarking about supermarkets, Inspector Albert Cox said: “These are places which display their goods to all and sundry and there is a temptation for people just to take stuff”.

He said that Watts was shopping in the supermarket on September 3rd and was putting several articules into a basket. But the manager saw her slip the butter and gammon into her own basket. He told the cashier about the incident. After paying for the goods in the store’s basket, the cashier asked if she had anything else on her. Watts said she had not. But when the manager approached her, Watts admitted the thefts. She was fined £2.

Cigs Cost Her Nearly £1 Each

At court, a 48 year-old Kenilworth woman alleged to be earning £9-a-week, stole 30 cigarettes from self-service supermarket, Fine Fare in Warwick Road. Winifred Ellen Bucknill of Mortimer Road, pleaded guilty to the theft.

Inspector Albert Cox said that Bucknill was shopping in the supermarket at around 12.45p.m. on October 8th. The store’s assistant manager saw her take the cigarettes and place them in a basket provided by the store. When she went to pay she did not declare them to the cashier. When the manager questioned her she said she had not taken them. But later, when the police were called, she admitted all.

The bench was told she had previous convictions of a similar nature. The court showed no sympathy and fined her a right packet – £25.

Not So Clever ‘Litter Lout’

Norman Parkinson of Coventry was not so clever as he ought to have been when he set out to dump a pile of junk which included, three tins cans, a pedal operated bin, cardboard boxes, paper, bricks, a cement bag, a car battery and a box of rubbish. The place he chose to convert into a wayside tip was a country lane, Cryfield Grange Road, which connects the Coventry Road to Crackley Lane.

To the defendant’s dismay, he was traced by the painstaking work of a policeman, who discovered amongst the junk a bit of paper bearing his name and address. Which proved very useful.

The magistrates dumped a fine of £5 on Mr. Parkinson for ‘depositing litter’.