‘Perilous’ driving

Press, 22 January 1982, Page 5

‘Perilous’ driving

A man who reached speeds of up to 95km h in a converted car while being pursued by a traffic patrol car through the city streets in the early morning of December 24 was sentenced in the District Court yesterday to corrective training for four offences relating to this incident, and one other driving offence.

Judge Pain told the defendant, Craig Dean Emms, aged 19. unemployed, that his driving on December 24 was dangerous in the extreme. He had created real peril to himself and to other road users.

The defendant had been convicted previously and remanded to yesterday for sentence on the charge of unlawfully taking a car, driving while under the influence of drink or drugs, driving while disqualified, and driving in a manner which might have been dangerous, on December 24.

He also pleaded guilty yes-

terday to an additional charge of driving while disqualified on November 26.

He was sentenced to corrective training (three months) on all charges, to be followed by a year's probation with a special condition that he undertake treatment or counselling as directed for his alcohol and drug dependence.

His counsel (Mr N. P. Chapman) said in mitigation of penalty that the defendant had a considerable problem with drink and drugs. Immediately before the spate of offences he had indulged heavily in these and had very little recollection of the offences.

He submitted that at the time the defendant was frustrated by the lack of job opportunities and having no money. He had drunk largely to relieve the boredom and frustration. He contended that the defendant. who was not afraid of work, would take advan-

tage of any opportunity offered to him. if allowed to remain in the community. His four weeks in custody had assisted him in his efforts to overcome his drug

taking. ESCAPER SENTENCE An additional three months imprisonment was imposed yesterday on a prisoner at Paparua Prison who escaped on Wednesday but' was recaptured after an hour. The defendant. Dean Anthony Martin, aged 22, was appearing for sentence after pleading guilty on Wednesday afternoon to escaping from custody earlier that day. He is at present serving a term of two years imprisonment imposed in the District Court at Dunedin last July. The Judge said the offence of escaping from custody was very serious, and the regularity of its occurrence amongst prisoners, recently called for a deterrent sentence.

DEPOSITION A man who further appeared on a charge of breaking and entering the Winchester : Post Office in South Canterbury on January

12. was remanded in custody, to appear in the District Court in Timaru on March 10 for the taking of depositions. The defendant. Michael Peter Bain, aged 20. unemployed. is jointly charged with two other men with breaking into the Post Office. He has elected trial by jury. Police allege that he broke into, the Post Office while he was on remand to appear in Dunedin on February 1 on an aggravated robbery charge. An application yesterday by counsel (Mr D. C. Fitzgibbon) for bail was declined tor reasons which, the Judge said, included his being on bail when the alleged'offence occurred, the nature of the charge, and his failure to observe the terms of his bail.