22 Overloading Charges Withdrawn
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.A PPLICATION, was made by Mr. rAT. B. Jackman, assistant solicitor to West Riding County CounciL appearing on behalf of the police at Doncaster West Riding Court, on. Tuesday, for permission to withdraw '22 summonses against drivers and 'hauliers in connection with alleged 'overloading offences.
The Bench deferred the cases when the summonses were originally mentioned on November 9; 'ea the defence alleged that by the use of a pbrtable weighbridge, which weighed only one axle at a time, the police could not accurately arrive at the laden weight of a vehicle. The defence also maintained that, to comply with the Act, the police must give a weight ticket to drivers of vehicles weighed and alleged to be overloaded.
When he applied for the withdrawal of the summonses, this week, Mr. Jackman said that the prosecution was not able to prove by a test within a day or two before the alleged offences that the portable weighbridge was correct. The objectionsN:vhich had been raised would be strongly and, he thought, successfully contested in all future
cases. Mr. Jackman said he understood that the objections did not find favour in the eyes of the clerk to the Bench.
The chairman, however, did not agree with Mr, Jackman. In his opinion, it was not satisfactory to weigh the. axles separately. With regard to the certificates of weight, it might not be legally necessary for the police to supply them, but he thought it would be better.