Unlawfully taking a rural fire brigade vehicle to escape an argument with his girlfriend has cost a Napier man 80 hours of community work.
Gary John Yaxley, a 27-year-old bricklayer from Bay View, pleaded guilty in Napier District Court yesterday to unlawfully taking the $20,000 ute belonging to Hastings District Council and used by the Patoka Volunteer Fire Brigade.
Yaxley was at Patoka on October 28 last year when he got into what his lawyer, Philip Jensen, said was a "vicious domestic" with his girlfriend. He drove off in the brigade's Mazda ute, which was parked in a nearby shed.
Mr Jensen told Judge Tony Adeane Yaxley his client took the vehicle because he had been taught the best way to deal with a domestic argument was to "get out when you can".
The ute was returned undamaged but light of about $100 of fuel and with an additional 400km showing on its odometer.
Judge Adeane sentenced Yaxley to 80 hours of community work and ordered him to pay $100 in reparations to cover the cost of the fuel.