Dunedin District Court

HE was being an idiot and showing off, a 19yearold man said in explanation for at least 11 instances of ‘‘sustained loss of traction’’ in the heart of the student quarter in February.

Lake Christopher Dent had been convicted of a representative charge of operating a motor vehicle causing it to have a sustained loss of traction, between February 5 and 16.

Prosecutor Sergeant Chris George said the driving, on at least 11 separate occasions, was in Clyde, Forth and St David Sts — the heart of the student quarter — between about midafternoon and 10pm.

February was a particularly busy time of the year, with thousands of students moving into flats and halls of residence.

The students were frequently attending celebrations involving alcohol.

‘‘Motorists should use extra care in the light of this potentially dangerous environment.’’

The witness to the offending recorded the dates and times of the driving and, in one case, made a video recording which showed Dent accelerating his Nissan Skyline in a manner that caused its tyres to lose traction with the road surface for at least six seconds and create a large quantity of smoke.

In the recorded incident, Dent spun the vehicle in a 180degree turn while the vehicle’s rear wheels were smoking violently.

The case had been adjourned from March 2, when Dent pleaded guilty, and Sgt George contended confiscation of the vehicle was appropriate.

In the Dunedin District Court yesterday, Judge Michael Turner noted confiscation was not challenged.

And he accepted counsel Steve Turner’s submission confiscation and disqualification was sufficient penalty.

The vehicle was confiscated and Dent was disqualified from driving for six months.