Lust for alcohol led to affray

Press, 23 April 1980, Page 3

Lust for alcohol led to affray

ti PA Wanganui A lust for alcohol led to an affray in Taihape 10 days ago, the District Court at Wanganui heard yesterday. William Paikea, aged 27, a construction worker, appeared for sentence on nine charges in connection with a week-end incident in which a police car was; wrecked and the armed, offenders squad called. Paikea was sentenced to a total of 15 months imprisonment.

His counsel (Mr P. G. Brown) said Paikea accepted that he was the principal offender in the incident, which was prompted by his being seen driving while disqualified, for the third time.

Mr Brown said that if Paikea had not been drinking, “none of this would have occurred.”

Judge Lowe said Paikea had made his first appearance in court in 1967.

“You are,going to prison because you have a problem with alcohol” Judge Lowe told him. “You were scouring the town trying to find someone who would sell you alcohol after the pubs closed. The consequences can only be described as dramatic.

“You smashed a police car up (to a value of $2350), using an axe for that purpose, and: to make threats you drove at 120 km/h along the main street, and you managed to escape from custody with the help of your friends.” Charges on which Paikea was given concurrent prison terms were driving while disqualified, wilful damage to handcuffs by using a hacksaw, damaging a police car, behaving in a threatening manner, driving dangerously, escaping from custody, having an offensive weapon, assaulting the police, and resisting the police.