Pair take drunken joyride on a forklift

At one stage, Barr left the road and guided the vehicle up and onto the footpath.

Two mates stole a forklift and went on a moonlit joyride along the streets of a central Taranaki town, antics which were all captured on security camera.

Liam Boyd Barr and Simon Ashley Young’s skylarking in the early hours of February 24 began after a night out drinking in Stratford.

The summary of facts said as the pair meandered along the town’s main drag, they came across a forklift parked on Fenton St.

It seemed the lads needed little encouragement to take it out for a spin, with Barr behind the wheel and Young ‘‘hanging from the side’’ of the industrial truck, which was valued at $10,000.

At the time, it was dark and there was minimal street lighting.

As the forklift was not designed to be used on the road, it did not have any lights or other safety features.

As Barr steered the forklift along Fenton St, two other people, who had also been drinking, climbed onto the forks of the vehicle.

The group have then been driven onto Broadway, which is also part of State Highway 3.

At one stage, Barr left the road and guided the vehicle up and onto the footpath.

Due to the speed he was travelling at, a woman sitting on the right hand fork almost fell off.

He then navigated the forklift down a service lane to a car park behind Stratford’s glockenspiel clock tower.

However as he attempted to go up a small incline, the forklift stalled due to its weight.

At this point, Barr’s passengers saw police heading their way so jumped off the forklift and ran off.

Barr put the vehicle into reverse and started to move backwards as officers came towards him.

The officers suspected he was trying to make his get-away, but the 23-year-old was arrested at the scene.

The drunken escapade, which was captured at numerous spots around the town thanks to security camera recordings, landed Barr and Young in the dock of the Ha¯ wera District Court on Tuesday, where each pleaded guilty to charges.

Barr pleaded guilty to unlawfully taking the forklift and driving it in a dangerous manner while Young pleaded guilty to his role in stealing the vehicle.

Lawyer Kelly Marriner asked for a referral to be made to restorative justice on Barr’s behalf.

She said due to his previous driving convictions, a pre-sentence report was also required.

Judge Chris Sygrove remanded Barr to re-appear for sentencing on May 2.

Lawyer Alice Vickers said Young worked as an engineer and had a limited criminal history, so sought a fine as a penalty for his part in the offending.

The judge obliged ordering the 23-year-old to pay a $300 fine plus court costs.