Police court life

At Bridlington Police Court on Saturday Albert Robinson, Hull, a discharged soldier, was charged with having used petrol contrary to order, at Flamborough, and John Kelly, skipper, Hull, was similarly charged. Mr Laverack, solicitor, defended. PC Harris said at 2.30pm on Sunday he was in Tower Street, Flamborough, when he saw a motor-car in the Sea Birds Inn Yard. Robinson said he was the owner and driver, and had come to Flamborough with John Kelly and his wife and children with the object of seeing a ship which had come ashore. Witness told him there was no ship ashore. The car was afterwards driven to the North Landing and the car and the party left for Hull again about five o’clock. Mr Laverack said John Kelly had been for 30 years a skipper of the Red Cross fleet and he considered he was entitled to engage the car of the defendant Robinson. He was not entitled to use the car, though he had legitimate private business in Flamborough on the day in question. He had made a mistake and therefore, of course, must bear the consequences. The Order, however, he said, was particularly hard on drivers in the position of Robinson, for if anyone engaging the car told him he wanted the car on business, and he accepted that reason, the driver himself became liable, though the position was an awkward one, for he had no means of protecting himself against the mistakes of his client. Therefore, he contended that though Mr Kelly had made a mistake in hiring the car, the greatest consideration should surely be shown to the driver of the car. Albert Robinson was dismissed on payment of costs, and his license would be endorsed. John Kelly “who had gone to Flamborough on business with a large family to have a nice day” was fined £8.