Old news from Armidale and New England

Friday 22 October 1954, The Sydney Morning Herald

ARMIDALE, Thursday.

A youth probably saved the occupants of another car from death by swerving off the road to avoid a collision, a detective said today.

The youth is Stanley William David Hall, 19, alleged R.A.A.F. absentee, of North Lidcombe.

Police had charged him in Armidale Court of Petty Sessions with dangerous driving on the New England Highway on October 13.

At an earlier hearing (which Hall attended using a broom as a crutch) police alleged he had overturned a stolen car on the highway near Guyra, injuring a girl passenger.

Detective-Sergeant F. W. Collings told the Court today that Hall swerved to pass a lorry and saw an oncoming car.

Detective Collings said: “He ran his vehicle off the road and, overturned it, doing considerable damage.”

“GREATER INJURY”

The other car was lighter and would have come off worst in the collision, he said.

“Hall risked greater, injury to himself by running off the road,” he added.

Hall, who pleaded guilty, said his speed was 55 miles an hour and not 85 miles an hour, as estimated by his girl passenger in a police interview.

He was fined £15 on the dangerous driving charge and £2 for driving without a licence.

On a charge of being in possession of a car, knowing it to have been stolen, Hall was committed for trial at Armidale Quarter Sessions on February 14.

Detective Collings said Hall had admitted stealing the car at Melbourne, and was going to Queensland.

He had told his girl passenger he had won a lottery and bought the car.

On 14 other charges (10 of burglary in Sydney suburbs, two of housebreaking, and two of theft) Hall was remanded to Central Court of Petty Sessions, Sydney, on Monday.