John Herbert GUNNESS

Police Say Truck Hit Fence, Light Pole

It was possible that a utility truck had continued on after an accident because the driver’s body had slipped on to the accelerator, a police constable said in Goulburn Coroner’s Court on Saturday.

He was John Herbert Gunness, who was giving evidence at the inquest into the death of Arthur David Eady, of Yass. Eedy was found dead in a crashed utility truck on Braidwood Road on June 2.

Deputy Coroner, Mr. Peter Jackson, found death had been caused by head injuries received when Eedy‘s car had crashed into a telephone post.

Constable John Herbert Gunness said, about 3.15 p.m. on June 2 he had gone to the scene of an accident, 3½ miles from Goulburn on Braidwood Road.

There he had seen a utility truck through a fence on the eastern side of the roadway. He had noticed skid marks the first 340 yards from the vehicle. They had indicated the vehicle had veered across the roadway before leaving it. The vehicle had gone between a telephone post and fence and had knocked out two fence posts. It had continued on and struck a telephone post. “It would appear that prior to this deceased was thrown from his driving seat onto the floor, his head and shoulders protruding from the door,”. said Constable Gunness. When the vehicles struck the post, the door in turn struck deceased.”

Cross examined by Mr. P. Baker ( for relatives of deceased ). Gunness said indications were that the vehicle had been travelling at high speed.

Kathleen Isabel Livingstone barmaid at Alcestan Hotel, said that on June 2 at 2.30 pm. she was in the hotel saloon bar, where she saw deceased. He had had two or three small beers, then a whisky and water. At about 2.40 p.m. he had left the hotel. That was the last she had seen of him. At that time he was perfectly sober.

Rupert Fraser Taylor, of “Homeden,” Gundary, said about 3 p.m. on. June 2 he was driving his car along Braidwood Road. About 3½, miles from Goulburn he noticed a fence was down, and a car in the paddock. He noticed a man hanging out of the car door. He could see he was beyond hope, so rang the police.

Dr. Ronald Lloyd-Jones said that on June 2 at 6 p.m. he had examined Eedy’s body. There were indications of a fracture at the base of the skull. In his opinion death was due to brain damage as a result of this injury.

Sgt. E. C. Noble assisted the Coroner.

MAN FOUND WEARING STOLEN CLOTHES, Fined £15 Or Thirty Days

A man said in the Goulburn Court of Petty Sessions yesterday that after his suitcases had been stolen from the railway station on Wednesday he had seen another man in Sloane Street wearing clothes belonging to him.

The man was Frederick William Bannard, petrol pump fitter, of Wattle Street, Punchbowl.

John Wilson France, 35, pleaded guilty to a charge that on June 14, at Goulburn, he had stolen two suitcases, clothing, and carpenter’s tools, valued at £15, the property of Bannard.

Constable John Herbert Gunness said that at 1 a.m. on June 14 he had seen the defendants on the island platform at Goulburn railway station. He asked him where he had come from, and France had told him he had come from Yass, and he was going to try to get a job here. ” He was dressed as he is now, ” Constable Gunness told the court. ( France appeared in custody wearing light blue slacks, a dark grey coat, a blue shirt, open at the neck, and tan shoes ).

At about 3a.m. the same day he had had a conversation with Bannard, the Constable said, and later he had seen France at the corner of Sloane and Clinton Streets. He was carrying one large and one small case, and he was dressed in a leather overcoat, grey shirt, and navy blue trousers. When questioned he had admitted he had taken the property from the railway station and it belonged to Bannard.

At the police station France had said: ” You know how it is when a man has a few drinks. While I was at Yass I had my own property stolen. ” He was slightly under the influence at the time. Bannard said that last Wednesday he had arrived at Goulburn in the early hours of the morning. He had left his suitcases in the waiting room on the island platform while he went to get refreshments. When he returned his belongings were missing.

At about 5 a.m. he was walking down Sloane Street from Clinton Street. He saw a man there and noticed he was wearing his leather overcoat. There were also two bags nearby which he recognised as his property. Later he noticed the man had on his clothes. He had notified the police. All his property had been recovered with the exception of a pair of old trousers which he used as overalls.

Asked whether he had anything to say, France said he had been left in the middle of winter without any clothes. All his possessions had been stolen twice since summer.

Mr. A. J. Paton, S.M., told France to steal anyone else’s things was mean and paltry. If drink was the cause of his lapses the best thing for him to do would be give it up. ” A lot of luggage does go off this way, ” Mr. Paton said. ” I don’t know what to do with you, I am sure. I will give you an opportunity. ”

He fined France £15 in default 30 days hard labour, and ordered that the property be returned to the owner.

Mr. Paton: ” Can you pay that? ” France: ” No; sir. ” Mr. Paton: ” Are you asking for time to pay? ” France: ” No. ” Mr. Paton remanded France till July 10 on a second charge of stealing clothing worth £7/10.

NEGLIGENT DRIVING

A man charged with negligent driving said in the Goulburn Court of Petty Sessions yesterday that one of the prime causes of an accident he was involved in, was that he was dazzled by another car’s headlights.

He was Melville Cavanagh Aubrey, of Faithfull Street, Goulburn, who pleaded not guilty to a charge that on December 25, he had driven a motor car on the Hume Highway in a negligent manner.

Constable John Herbert Gunness, of Goulburn, said that on December 25, at 10 p.m. he had gone to the scene of an accident on the Hume Highway, at Yarra.

Two cars had been involved. Both had been severely damaged on the off-side front mudguards. Aubrey was the driver of one of the cars and Ralph Stone was the other driver. Stone had told him: ” I was driving along and I saw the lights of the other car coming. I slowed down and pulled as far to the left as I could. “The other car kept coming, and all I could do was sit and wait for the accident. ” Aubrey had said: ” I was travelling north at about 40 miles per hour. For a moment I did not know there had been an accident. I do not think I was on the wrong side of the yellow line. ”

GLAZIER’S EVIDENCE

Ralph Ewart Stone, grazier, Stoneleigh, Dalton, said that at about 8,.45 p.m. on December 25, he was driving south along the Hume Highway, near Yarra. ” I was about 60 yards from the bridge when I first saw the lights of the approaching car. ” I dipped the lights, slowed down, and eased over to the safety fence on the left. ” As far as I could see the other car was going slightly from one side of the road to the other. It continued on and struck the right hand mudguard of my car. ” When the car stopped, it was about 200 yards away from my stationary car.

Aubrey gave evidence that he was travelling north on the Hume Highway at that time. He came over the Yarra viaduct, crossed down the road and noticed a car coming in the other direction with its head lights on full beam. He said: ” I dipped my lights pulled towards the left and then there was a crash.

Mr. A. J. Paton,:S.M., adjourned the hearing till Monday, May 8.

https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/104323493

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