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Fleeing motorcyclist disqualified

Friday 28 April 2023 | Written by Al Williams | Published in Court, Crime, National

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Fleeing motorcyclist disqualified
A motorcyclist was tracked down, arrested and charged with excess breath alcohol after fleeing the scene of a crash in Vaimaanga on Sunday morning. PHOTO: CRHIS ROWE/23042427

A 30-year-old man who fled the scene of a crash early on Sunday and was subsequently tracked down and charged with drink driving, has lost his driver licence for 12 months.

Tomasi Mawi Rabaka entered guilty pleas to excess breath alcohol and careless driving when he appeared in the Criminal Court on Thursday.

The court heard the motorcyclist was involved in a non-injury crash about 8.30am in Vaimaanga.

Rabaka fled the scene while the incident was reported to police who found him and took him in for processing about 10am.

He was breathalysed and recorded a reading of 930 micrograms per litre of breath.

Justice of the Peace Vania Kenning said the alcohol reading was quite high.

Rabaka was fined $350 and ordered to pay $50 court costs for excess breath alcohol, disqualified from driving for 12 months, fined $30 for careless driving and ordered to pay $50 court costs.

Meanwhile, a long-standing charge against a Cook Islands woman for careless driving causing injury is yet to be resolved.

Defence lawyer Mark Short appeared in the Criminal Court on behalf of Christine Kaiata John who lives in Christchurch.  

He said there was a lot of work going on behind the scenes in an attempt to get the matter resolved.

Short said Police had told him there was room for the charge to be withdrawn if compensation and apologies were agreed on.

His client and the victim know each other while Short said he was also acting on behalf of the victim.

He asked for one more adjournment of two weeks.

The matter was adjourned to May 11, with Justice of the Peace Vania Kenning saying she would allow one last adjournment.