Boy, 10, drives drunk dad

A Taranaki father admitted getting his 10-year-old son to sober drive him into town and has told police it wasn’t the first time, a court has been told.

Police came across the defendant’s vehicle parked outside a New Plymouth pub about 12.05am on Sunday, June 3.

Officers became interested in the car after seeing it pull up and park at an angle in a parallel bay and partially block the lane.

When they approached the car, parked on Devon St East, police found a 10-year-old boy at the wheel.

A 33-year-old was in the passenger seat and showed signs of intoxication. It was revealed he was the youngster’s father.

The man, who cannot be named in order to protect the identity of his son, told police the boy had driven from their home address in Spotswood to the city bar – a journey of approximately 4.5 kilometres.

According to the summary of facts, the defendant said: ‘‘He had his son driving as he was the sober driver and had driven for him on numerous occasions.’’

Yesterday the man appeared before Judge Chris Sygrove in the New Plymouth District Court where he pleaded guilty to a single charge of ill treatment/ neglect of a person aged under 18 years.

Sygrove ordered a presentence report and remanded him at large to re-appear on September 14.

Defence lawyer Jo Woodcock asked that interim name suppression be given to her client in an effort to conceal the boy’s identity.

Sygrove granted the application.