Move made to dismiss Borrows case
Whanganui MP Chester Borrows faced a nervous sleep last night, as he waited to hear if a judge will dismiss a police case of careless driving against him.
His lawyer, Nathan Bourke, made the application in Whanganui District Court yesterday at the end of the first day of his twoday trial.
If the charge is unsuccessful, Borrows and Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett will enter the witness box today to give evidence.
Borrows is charged with careless driving causing injury to two protesters on March 22, 2016. Bennett was in Borrows’ car when he was confronted by protesters, who stood in the vehicle’s path.
Constable Stewart Bourne was at the protest to keep the peace. He said he had his back to the car when the protesters were hit.
He filled in a crash report afterwards, which was produced by Bourke. In the report, Bourne said the car was travelling at 1kmh when it was ‘‘swamped’’ by protesters. Borrows was likely unaware of what had happened, and the vehicle and its speed were not a factor.
Bourke put to the constable that the report showed Borrows had not been careless.
‘‘Looking at the report, you accept you cannot attribute this incident to any factor on behalf of Mr Borrows.’’ Bourne agreed. One of the woman injured in the incident, Denise Lockett, told the court she thought the worst when she was hit by Borrows’ car.
‘‘I thought ‘oh my God, you are going under, girl’ and I folded over the bonnet.’’
Bourke put to protester Tracey Treadwell that she was trying to ‘‘detain’’ Borrows when the protesters walked in front of his car. Treadwell said the group’s intention was to make sure Borrows and Bennett knew their concerns.
Bourke referenced a statement from an officer on the scene, which said the officer saw a woman walk into the side of Borrows’ car after being pulled away.
Treadwell denied doing that, saying she stood still until she was hit, and was only pulled away by police.
The trial continues.