Mihaka convicted of dangerous driving

Press, 26 August 1986, Page 10

Mihaka convicted of dangerous driving

PA Wellington A District Court Judge said yesterday that he was not satisfied that Te Ringu Mangu Mihaka tried to drive into the Queen’s motorcade on the recent Royal tour. But he thought that going round a corner on the wrong side of the road and proceeding on the incorrect side amounted to dangerous driving. Judge Rabone in the District Court in Wellington convicted Mihaka, aged 45, an author, of dangerous driving, fined him $350, and disqualified him from driving for six months.

The Judge said that in anticipation of a notice of appeal being filed within 24 hours, operation of the

order was suspended pending outcome of the appeal. After hearing evidence, Judge Rabone said that late in the morning of February 27 a motorcade was returning south towards Wellington on the main State highway past Plimmerton.

The convoy comprised first a private car, then a vehicle occupied by the Queen, a security vehicle, and another vehicle being driven by a Sergeant O’Donnell.

As Sergeant O’Donnell reached a position slightly to the north of the middle of the intersection a van driven by Mihaka came out of a side road and turned right into the highway.

The van did not follow the marking or the lane reserved for vehicles turning right because the line of traffic in that lane had been stopped by a traffic officer.

Judge Rabone said that having turned into St Andrews Road, the van driven by Mihaka continued south on the incorrect side of the road until forced to stop by police cars.

Mihaka had said that had he not been accosted by the police he would have come on to the main road some five minutes before the motorcade.

“That in my view is irrelevant as to whether his driving was or might have been dangerous,” Judge Rabone said.