Cyclists fracas sequel

A Motueka man who drove into and injured a cyclist after escaping an alleged assault had a breath alcohol reading twice the legal limit.

Murray Lawrence Stormont was sentenced in Nelson District Court yesterday after earlier admitting a charge of driving with excess breath alcohol causing injury.

Lawyer John Sandston said Stormont was remorseful and had been described as a low risk of re-offending by the probation service.

Judge Tom Broadmore said the circumstances of the case were odd.

Stormont was driving about 1am in Motueka when he got into an assault with some cyclists, who gave him a beating.

Judge Broadmore said he did not have the details of what happened but one of the cyclists had been charged with assaulting Stormont.

Stormont had been trying to get away from the scene when he drove into a man on a cycle who was coming to see what was happening. He injured the cyclist and damaged a brick wall after he drove into the cyclist on the footpath after not seeing him.

Stormont had been drinking and woke up thinking he was fine to drive. He recorded a breath alcohol reading of 964mcg of alcohol, over twice the adult limit of 400mcg.

Judge Broadmore sentenced Stormont to 180 hours of community work and nine months’ supervision.