Samuela Ratulele was ordered to pay $840 in the Criminal Court in Avarua in fines and reparation costs for a drink driving offence.

Ratulele pleaded guilty to excess breath alcohol and careless driving through his lawyer Lavi Rokoika on Thursday.

The court heard Ratulele was involved in an accident on October 6 on the main road in Nikao. He was over three times the legal breath alcohol limit.

Police asked for reparation costs of $765 – $500 for damaging a T&M Heather vehicle and $265 for T&M removing the vehicle from the road.

However, Rokoika said T&M Heather moved her client’s car without asking Ratulele who was going to move it himself.

“The invoice of $265 should not be paid for by my client, he went down to remove it (the car),” Rokoika told Justice of the Peace Tangi Taoro.

JP Taoro fined Ratulele $200 for excess breath alcohol and $40 careless driving. He had his driving licence suspended for a year.

Ratulele was also asked to pay $100 in court costs and $500 in reparation payments to T&M Heather.