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Assault on traffic examiner allegation

5th June 1970, Page 46
5th June 1970
Page 46
Page 46, 5th June 1970 — Assault on traffic examiner allegation
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

• A charge of assaulting a Metropolitan traffic examiner acting in the course of his duty was adjourned at Godstone magistrates' court on May 18 to allow the defendant time to obtain further evidence to substantiate his not guilty plea.

Mr Cyril Hunt, the traffic examiner, said in evidence that on February 6 he had gone to premises in Godstone to interview Mr W. Cooper concerning plating offences. During the interview his father, W. Cooper, senior, arrived and because he was the holder of the vehicle's C licence the examiner told him that "he would be reported for aiding and abetting his son in licensing offences".

"I cautioned him and he replied that it was not his vehicle," said the examiner. "He then swore at me and spat in my face"—a matter which was later reported to the police he added.

Mr Cooper told the magistrates that he did not meet the examiner on the date that the alleged offence took place as he was a patient in Redhill Hospital undergoing treatment for a slipped disc. The case was adjourned.

Prior to the assault charge the magistrates fined W. Cooper junior, a scrap metal merchant, a total of ,C78 and ordered him to pay £93 back duty and £20 costs for testing and plating, and excise licence offences. Mr Cooper failed to attend and the case was heard in his absence.

Traffic examiners Mr Roger Streeter and Mr Reginald Brown gave evidence relating to four testing and plating offences. Mr Cooper was alleged to have said when questioned: "I have no records. Does it matter? I have not done much work. I carry scrap metal so what is the use of it being tested as I only use it once a fortnight?"

The five other summonses stemmed from an incident on March 13 when Mr Cooper junior was stopped by a police patrol officer. Cooper was driving a lorry found to have no "unladen weight" marked on its nearside, and neither a goods test nor plating certificate; the lorry was not taxed. He had 11 previous convictions for vehicle licensing offences since 1964, with fines totalling £329.