MP found not guilty of careless driving
Both Whanganui MP Chester Borrows and one of the women injured after coming into contact with his car at a protest are questioning the police and justice system, after the MP was found not guilty of careless driving causing injury.
Borrows, a former police officer, feels like the charge should never have made it to court, while the complainant says the trial felt like ‘‘a piece of theatre’’.
Judge Stephanie Edwards found Borrows not guilty after a two-day trial in the Whanganui District Court.
He had been charged with careless driving causing injury to two women, who were hurt when hit by his car during a protest against the Trans-pacific Partnership on March 22, 2016.
Borrows was driving his car, with deputy prime minister Paula Bennett in the passenger seat, out of the Collegiate Motor Inn car park after a Whanganui Chamber of Commerce breakfast function.
A handful of protesters blocked the driveway.
The car slowly moved toward the protesters, coming into contact with two of them, before police dispersed the crowd and Borrows drove off.
While giving evidence, Borrows said he did not stop because he felt the protesters posed a threat to Bennett.
One of them had posted on Facebook a picture of a dildo with ‘‘Paula B’’ written on it prior to the event.
Bennett, who gave evidence for the defence, said she too perceived the dildo as ‘‘quite aggressive’’.
The judge said it was up to her to figure out if Borrows exercised the degree of care and attention a reasonable person would.
A video of the incident showed Borrows’ car moving very slowly, but never stopping.
‘‘I accept [Borrows] had valid reason to be concerned for the comfort, if not the safety, of his passenger, minister Bennett,’’ the judge said.
The judge expressed concern at Borrows’ evidence about wanting to be in control of the situation.
Outside court, Borrows said the charge should never have made it to court , noting he had never seen a Crown prosecutor and a junior prosecutor take a case like his before.
He said he had been on the side of police for many years, but noted this may change after his experience.
He defended the charge because a conviction could make it harder for him to obtain work after his retirement and travel overseas.
One of the complainants, Denise Lockett, said she was disappointed with various aspects of the case. ‘‘We feel it’s a piece of theatre.’’ She was shocked at police officers’ recall of the events.
But she was especially critical of the defence tactic of linking actions taken against Borrows, such as the vandalism of his election signs, with their anti-tpp group.
‘‘We didn’t destroy his bloody signs. We are both pensioners.’’
The other complainant, Tracey Treadwell, could not be contacted.