Disqualified for cemetery burnouts
A MAN who smashed up 10 Dunedin grave sites was doing burnouts ‘‘in honour’’ of his dead friend, a court has heard.
Jordan Shay Gibbs (26) appeared in the Invercargill District Court last month where he was convicted of intentional damage and driving with a sustained loss of traction, and ordered to pay nearly $3000 to cover the damage.
Gibbs was in the Andersons Bay Cemetery car park with others after attending the funeral of a friend on April 13.
They were awaiting the arrival of the body at the crematorium at 12.30pm.
‘‘The deceased was a car enthusiast, so as the group were waiting, an unidentified person began skidding a red vehicle around the car park in honour of their friend,’’ a police summary said.
Gibbs, ‘‘encouraged’’ by what he had seen, followed suit in his blue Ford Falcon.
‘‘He kept his vehicle stationary while accelerating, causing his rear wheels to spin creating a large amount of smoke and black tyre marks to burn into the asphalt,’’ the court heard.
After several seconds he edged forward, skidding his car around the car park while another two performed similar manoeuvres.
Unlike the others, however, Gibbs lost control and mounted the kerb.
He slid into the grass verge and over 16 grave sites — family plaques attached to a concrete burial beam.
Ten of the plots were damaged, the court heard.
Dunedin City Council group manager parks and recreation Robert West said the council had picked up the tab for $350 of damage to the berm.
‘‘The DCC hasn’t repaired damage to plaques and memorials. This is unfortunately a cost that families incur when vandalism like this happens,’’ he said
Judge John BrandtsGiesen ordered Gibbs repay the $2902 costs of the victims and also sentenced him to 200 hours’ community work.
The defendant will also be disqualified from driving for nine months, which starts in November because of a previous ban.
Gibbs responded to the Otago Daily Times: ‘‘Of course it was a big mistake. What kind of person does that intentionally at one of his best friends’ funerals?’’
‘‘Look, I’ve had to face a lot of demons ’cause of this, last thing I need is it getting dragged back up while I’m trying to sort my own mental health out.’’