A Blenheim man who owed $41,000 in outstanding fines has had them wiped in the Blenheim District Court and sentenced instead to eight months' periodic detention.
Judge Chris Tuohy said it was completely unrealistic to expect Kenneth Walter Baker to pay the fines given his financial state.
The judge said the $41,000 in outstanding fines was the highest he had struck. They had been accumulated over many years by Baker for offences including driving without a warrant of fitness, driving unregistered vehicles and driving overweight vehicles.
Baker told the court that judges insisted on levelling fines on him that he was unable to pay.
"I'm unemployed, have a nil income and my assets total $1500 to $2000," he said.
"This has been going on for 10 years and there's probably another $10,000 to $15,000 worth of fines in the system."
Judge Tuohy said it was clear Baker was unable to pay the fines. However, he told him to stop offending and stop amassing such big fines.
The judge wiped all Baker's outstanding fines and sentenced him to eight months' periodic detention, to be served cumulatively on an existing sentence of four months' PD.
Stewart William Trevathan, a 17-year-old who appeared in the Blenheim District Court facing dangerous driving charges, was another whose outstanding fines attracted Judge Tuohy's attention. Trevathan owed $26,947.
"That's not bad for someone who has just turned 17," the judge said.
- NZPA
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.
Latest from New Zealand
Mike King's plea to thieves after charity office break-in
"If you just drop it off on the front door that would be great."