‘Good deed’ speed excuse flops with judge

An astonished judge has heard that a man was driving up Wellington’s Ngauranga Gorge at 176 kilometres an hour trying to catch another speeding driver so he could report him.

Wellington District Court judge Peter Hobbs was told David Apolinario had been caught on the speed camera of an equally astonished motorcycle police officer on November 10 last year.

When the Subaru stationwagon was caught going 176kmh, the officer pursued Apolinario, pulling him up near the Newlands offramp.

Apolinario told police he was chasing someone who had cut him off.

In court on Thursday defence lawyer Paul Surridge said Apolinario worked in the motor vehicle industry and pleaded guilty to driving at a dangerous speed.

Apolinario had been concerned about the other driver and wanted to get the licence plate number to report him.

‘‘I didn’t come down in the shower,’’ the judge said.

The judge listed Apolinario’s previous convictions which included dangerous driving, using excessive speed, careless driving and driving while disqualified.

‘‘One hundred and seventy-six last kilometres an hour is a ludicrous speed to be doing.’’

He warned Apolinario that if he kept it up he would kill someone.

‘‘If you want the death of an innocent person on your conscience, keeping driving like this.’’

The judge said he did not accept that he was trying to report another driver and he suspected he was consumed with annoyance at being cut off.

‘‘There is an increasing problem of aggressive drivers.’’

He fined Apolinario $500 and disqualified him from driving for six months.