Dunedin District Court
SENTENCES imposed by Judge Michael Turner in the Dunedin District Court yesterday. —
Gary David Armstrong (20), agricultural worker, of Ireland, drinkdriving, 119mg (said only had a couple of Speight’s and thought he would be under the limit), Clyde St, Balclutha, about 2.10am, February 17, fined $650, court costs $130, medical and analyst’s expenses $157, disqualified six months. Duty lawyer Max Winders said no driving fault, no previous convictions.
John Daniel Hepburn (34), dairy farm worker, drinkdriving, 501mcg, LumsdenWinton highway, near Winton, about 7.50pm, October 27, fined $800, court costs $130, medical and analyst’s expenses $224, disqualified six months. Hepburn had one previous drinkdrive conviction, in 2011, court heard.
StacyRaymond Angus Cowan (22), farm worker, of Hindon, disqualified driving (stopped by police after detected travelling at 130kmh in car fitted with spacesaver wheel), southern motorway, about 5.10pm, November 28, two months’ community detention (curfewed 7pm Fridays to 5am Mondays), disqualified seven months. Judge noted Cowan convicted of driving while suspended in 2015, and sustained loss of traction last year.
Matthew Tapp (21), technician, of Dunedin, operating vehicle so it had sustained loss of traction (in Ford Escort, leaving car show at Alpha Reserve, Cromwell, road wet and slippery, turned from Alpha St on to State Highway 8B, accelerated hard causing rear tyres to break traction and car to slide sideways to right, then still under heavy acceleration slide sideways to left), about 3.20pm, January 19, fined $400, disqualified seven months; careless driving (travelling about 80kmh in 50kmh zone, drove Toyota over slight bump, lost control causing vehicle to fishtail, spin, go on to footpath, through shrubs, hit a pump control cabinet and stop short of a power pole), Brighton Rd, Ocean View, about 12.15am, October 13, fined $350, court costs $130, disqualified three months (concurrent), reparation amounting to $1885. Counsel David More said Tapp not previously before the court.
Jane Marie Jardine (41), of Dunedin, breaching supervision, October 23, and breaching community work, October 25 (in each case by failing to report), both sentences cancelled, 12 months’ intensive supervision (with threemonthly judicial monitoring).
Mason James Purvis (26), of Dunedin, breaching community work (failed to report), Decem ber 15, two months’ community detention (curfewed 7pm Fridays to 6am Mondays), community work cancelled; unpaid fines of $1856 replaced with two weeks’ community detention (concurrent). Purvis previously convicted of breaching communitybased sentences, judge noted.
Anthony Lee Gillatt Dey Fraser (23), unemployed, of Dunedin, Summary Offences Act assault (walking along South Rd with female known to him, argument arose, pushed victim with both hands, victim did not lose balance but ran inside Carisbrook school grounds, defendant chased and caught up with her, pushed her in middle of back with right hand causing her to lose balance and fall sustaining soreness to left ankle and hip), 70 hours’ community work (takes into account cancellation of earlier community work sentence on which 491/2 hours remained)
Joel Thomas Burns (21), student, of Dunedin, possessing cannabis smoking pipe, possessing cannabis (38g), possessing Class B controlled drug MDMA (small amount), possessing nonapproved psychoactive substance (20g of grey blended fibre identified by Burns as magic mushrooms), February 19, fined $300, court costs $130, for possession of pipe, convicted and discharged other three charges. Burns told police the drugs were his and for his personal use; public defender Andrew Dawson told court Burns said he only occasionally used substances.
Kelvin Mark Harris (39), of Dunedin, intentional damage, threatening behaviour (Harris was living with his stepfather and paying him board, dispute arose over an alleged shortfall in payments, defendant smashed a glass pane of the door and ripped out letter box; defence counsel Andrew Dawson said Harris now planned to move away from Dunedin for a fresh start), October 24, nine months’ supervision, $360 reparation.