A 39-year-old man "relived his youth" when he did donuts in his car and then drove away from police, his lawyer says.
Bruce Andrew Johnstone, 39, of Blenheim, admitted failing to stop for police, dangerous driving and driving with a sustained loss of traction when he appeared in Blenheim District Court yesterday.
He was fined $1200, court costs and disqualified for 12 months.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Graham Single said Johnstone was driving in the KFC car park on Grove Rd with a female passenger and a child in the back seat about 7pm on February 11.
He revved his engine and did a burn-out in the car park causing a large amount of tyre smoke which was noticed by a member of the public who called police.
While in the drive-through queue, Johnstone was approached by police and asked to drive into the car park so they could speak to him.
Johnstone accelerated away through the car park and back onto Grove Rd without slowing down.
He went through the Nelson St roundabout and turned left at the Alfred St roundabout where he hid his car behind a building.
Johnstone took off his white singlet and put on a blue top and was later found by police trying to hitch-hike home.
Police did not follow Johnstone because of his speed and the passengers inside, Mr Single said.
He told police he was in Nelson the whole day and someone else must have been driving his car.
Defence counsel Bryony Millar said Johnstone had been at a car show in Nelson and had a "rush of blood" and was "reliving his youth".
He had no previous driving convictions.
When he drove onto Grove Rd he was not going more than 60kmh and did not see any other cars on the road.
Johnstone had just started a job which involves driving trucks which would now be jeopardised because of his convictions.
Judge Stephen Harrop said fleeing from police was a national issue and why a number of people had been killed in police chases.
"The police did not follow you, but your driving was just as dangerous as if they had been."
The offending was out of character and was something associated with men "much younger" than him, he said.
- The Marlborough Express
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