Driver of stolen car ‘in the wrong place at the wrong time’

A man who got into a stolen car, started it without a key and then drove off has told a court that it was an accident.

Jamie Mark Slater’s blood was found on the broken ignition barrel of a vehicle stolen from Clawton St, New Plymouth, sometime between August 30 and September 1. The car was taken to an address on Trelawney Cres, about a one-minute drive around the corner.

A few days later, Slater was at that Trelawney Cres property, a police summary of facts told the New Plymouth District Court.

While there, he got into the vehicle and started it without a key as the ignition barrel had been damaged in the theft, the summary said.

Slater drove the car down the street and parked it away from the house.

Once the car was located by police, a scene of crime officer took a swab of blood found on the broken ignition and the offending was linked to Slater.

‘‘It was an accident,’’ he told the court on Wednesday from the dock.

Slater had ‘‘been in the wrong place at the wrong time’’, duty lawyer Nina Laird

Lynne Harrison.

He moved the vehicle for someone and it turned out it was stolen, Laird said.

But despite his claims of it being accidental, Slater pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawfully getting into a motor vehicle.

He is already serving a sentence of supervision, imposed six days after the alleged offending, and the court heard he was doing well.

Slater, who has long criminal history dating back to 1995, has told

Judge acknowledged he has a drug problem and has been clean for the past month, it was heard.

‘‘You should be really proud of yourself,’’ Judge Harrison told him.

To ‘‘add motivation’’ to his rehabilitation, she ordered him to come up for sentence if called upon within nine months.

‘‘I hope with all of that motivation you will not return to the court anytime soon,’’ she warned.

‘‘No, no I won’t. Thank you very much,’’ he said before exiting the court.

Slater pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawfully getting into a motor vehicle.