Queenstown District Court
A DRUNK Queenstown man overtook a police car at speed with the bumper bar hanging off his car, a short time after crashing through a fence into a paddock.
Timothy Robert Hunt (32), a tour guide, was driving on WanakaMount Aspiring Rd on October 1 last year after drinking all day at Treble Cone skifield when he lost control on a bend near Hospital Flat.
He crossed the centre line, overcorrected and crashed through a fence into a paddock.
He got back on to the road and was heading towards Glendhu Bay when he passed a patrol car at 108kmh with his bumper dangling.
Although police lost track of his vehicle, they received a call a short time later from staff at the Glendhu Bay campground, where they had taken his keys out of concern about his drunkenness.
When he was taken to Wan aka police station, he elected a blood test, but refused to allow the specimen to be taken.
Hunt admitted charges of driving under the influence of drink, careless driving and refusing to give a blood specimen when he appeared before Judge Bernadette Farnan in the Queenstown District Court yesterday.
He was disqualified for nine months for driving under the influence; for refusing a blood specimen he was fined $1100 and court costs of $130. For careless driving he was ordered to pay reparation of $5075 and witness expenses of $150.
More drinkdriving
A Canadian man on a working holiday who tried to skip the country to avoid a drinkdriving charge has been fined and disqualified from driving.
Vincent Maranda (23), who is living in Queenstown, was arrested at Queenstown Air port on February 19 after he tried to check in for a flight to Auckland.
He had onward flights booked to Fiji and Los Angeles, but a border alert stymied his plans.
Maranda was driving on Goldfield Heights about 2.15am on February 16 when his vehicle hit a parked car on the lefthand side of the road, careered across the road and hit another parked car.
All three vehicles were damaged.
He recorded a breathalcohol level of 675mcg.
Judge Farnan said Maranda was ‘‘distraught over some issues with his love life not going well’’ at the time of the crash.
On the drinkdriving charge, she fined him $800, court costs $130 and disqualified him from driving for seven months.
Maranda was convicted and discharged on a charge of care less driving.
A Wade Cyr Burnett (42), electrician, of the United States, drinkdriving, 658mcg, Lindis PassTarras Rd, February 23, fined $750, court costs $130, disqualified six months; driving 145kmh while towing a trailer, Lindis PassTarras Rd, February 23, fined $150, court costs $130.
A Sarah Ann Carlton (44), teacher, of Wanaka, drinkdriving, 552mcg, Totara Tce, February 9, fined $600, court costs $130, disqualified six months.
A Lena Gerscher (20), of Germany, drinkdriving, 680mcg, Frankton Rd, February 24, fined $800, court costs $130, disqualified seven months; careless driving, Frankton Rd, February 24, ordered to pay reparation of $1500.
A Jonathon James MacTaggart (41), of Albert Town, drinkdriving, 101mg, Lake HaweaAlbert Town Rd, December 30, fined $600, court costs $130, disqualified months.
A Samuel Ludwig Sphor (24), of Fernhill, drinkdriving, 600mcg, Fernhill Rd, February 1, fined $700, court costs $130, disqualified six months.
A Christopher James McLeod Craig (36), labourer, of Wanaka, drinkdriving (fifth conviction), 575mcg, Frankton Rd, October 24 last year, nine months’ supervision for intervention for alcohol issues, 200 hours community work, disqualified for 28 days with alcohol interlock and zero alcohol licence provisions to follow.
A Adam David Foster (30), of Fernhill, drinkdriving, 910mcg, Lake Esplanade, February 1, fined $1100, court costs $130, disqualified eight months. A Rakesh Jodha (31), of Arrowtown, drinkdriving, 584mcg, State Highway 6, Kawarau Gorge, January 2, fined $650, court costs $130, disqualified six months.
Other convictions
A Christopher Andrew Carey (33), painterdecorator, of Wanaka, was sentenced on the following charges: male assaults female, February 7 last year, in Auckland; unlawfully taking a vehicle and theft (battery charger and post battery), both in Taumarunui on September 24 last year; breach of intensive supervision conditions, January 19 and March 18 last year, in Auckland, and failing to answer bail, July 27 last year, in Nelson.
On the male assaults female and unlawfully taking a vehicle charges, he was convicted and sentenced to three months community detention with a daily curfew between 8pm and 6.30am, given 12 months’ intensive supervision to address drug and alcohol issues, and ordered to undergo a psychological assessment and treatment.
For theft, he was ordered to pay $370 in reparation.
For the two breaches of intensive supervision conditions and failing to answer bail, he was convicted and discharged.
A Kaitlin Marie Emig (33), German national, of Albert Town, careless driving causing injury to Ruchita, Hansa and Gauri Malpathak, Haast Pass Highway, December 27, disqualified seven months and ordered to pay reparation of $2604.96.
A Samuel CrumpMcKechnie (18), of Queenstown, intentionally damaged a window and fence, Queenstown, December 9, discharged without conviction if he pays reparation of $1397.33 within three months.
A Ashlie Elyse Lockwood (32), housekeeper, of Queenstown, two charges of assault, both in Queenstown, on December 14 and December 17, six months supervision for counselling and treatment; intentional damage, December 14, in Queenstown, ordered to pay $50 reparation.