A man has been convicted of obstruction after he showed up intoxicated at a routine traffic stop and began interrupting police as they spoke to the occupants of a car.
The Whanganui District Court heard Isaac Samuel McGregor wandered up to the traffic stop on January 31 and approached police as they spoke to people in a car. He also began speaking to the car's occupants, who did not know him.
After being warned several times to stop distracting police and interrupting, McGregor was told he was under arrest, at which point he made a run for it.
He was not located at that time, police prosecutor Sergeant Rachel Willemsen told the court on Tuesday.
McGregor was found and arrested at a later date, she said.
Defence lawyer Stephen Ross said the 23-year-old had not previously appeared in the adult court.
"Without alcohol it's unlikely this would have occurred," Mr Ross said.
"There's little that can be said about the actual offending except starting off with the word 'stupidity'."
McGregor pleaded guilty to obstructing police and escaping lawful custody.
Judge David Cameron sentenced him to 40 hours of community work.