Hit camper van

A man who slammed into the back of a tourist’s parked camper van and sped off has been told by a judge to ‘‘grow up’’.

Henare Nehemia Jury (22), furniture remover, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and failing to stop after a noninjury accident when he appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday.

He had driven into the Brighton Domain at 5.40pm and sped past several parked freedom campers at the site.

Jury’s car lost traction and slid from side to side before he hit the back of a stationary van belonging to a mother and son travelling the country.

Rather than stopping to check on the victims, the defendant drove away at speed.

The mother and son were in shock but did not require medical attention, the court heard.

Defence counsel Chris Lynch said her client was ‘‘very remorseful’’.

‘‘He knows he was just driving like an idiot and endangered members of the public,’’ she said.

The court heard Jury had a previous conviction for careless driving causing injury but Ms Lynch said it came from failing to give way at an intersection rather than wilful stupidity.

She said he left the scene because he ‘‘went into a panic’’.

Judge Flatley said: ‘‘I just do not understand why you would behave in this way . . .

‘‘It’s time to grow up’’, he told Jury.

Jury was sentenced to 120 hours’ community work, 10 months’ disqualification and ordered to pay $1482 reparation.