Drive responsibly, court tells men before issuing K300 fines

TWO men have be ordered to pay K300 court fines by a court in Lae or serve six months in prison for negligent driving in Lae last month.
Lae District Court Magistrate Tera Dawai, on two separate cases before him, made the orders after the men appeared and pleaded guilty yesterday. The first case was Chris Talau, 46, from Siassi island, Morobe, who was charged with negligent driving on a public street at Milford Haven Road near the National Polytechnic Institute.
He was driving a Toyota Hilux in the manner police reported as careless when he overtook another vehicle. Talau was out from police custody on K300 bail and appeared in court.
The court heard that the second defendant, Vincent Nalai, 33, from Wagang village, Morobe, was also charged with negligent driving.
Police reports provided by police prosecutor Snr Const Kathy Odis stated that on April 12, the defendant was driving a Toyota Coaster bus on Markham Road when he was reported and arrested.
He pleaded guilty to the offence and was a first time offender.
Both men were cautioned by the court to drive responsibly and consider the safety of other motorists, passengers and pedestrians.
Dawai ordered each defendant to pay a K300 court fine or six months in prison in default of payment.
He told the men that their K300 police bail would be converted to their court fines.