'I'd do it again' says man who rammed boy racer

The Welcome Bay man who rammed a boyracer with his 4WD said he "would not hesitate" to do it again after he was sentenced in court yesterday.
Edwin Murray, 53, a driller, was due to face the court for a depositions hearing yesterday in Tauranga District Court but when the charges were reduced he changed his plea to guilty.
He was convicted and sentenced on a charge of reckless driving and threatening language - and was ordered to pay $500 reparation to the teenage driver as part of his sentence.
Police withdrew the charge of assault with a blunt instrument [a car] and replaced the threatening to kill with a charge of using threatening language.
In a twist, it was also revealed that the car doing burnouts was "pink-stickered" by police and should not have been on the road. It had earlier been reported that it was unregistered and unwarranted.
In June this year, Murray twice rammed into Daniel Machin's vehicle pushing it 15m into a fence after he found him doing burnouts in a nearby carpark.
The court yesterday heard how at 6pm on a rainy evening, Murray, a Cumberland Crescent resident, heard a vehicle doing burnouts nearby and smelt smoke.
Telling his wife to call the police he drove his 4WD to the nearby tennis courts carpark where he found a Nissan Cefiro doing burnouts.
In his attempt to stop the vehicle escaping before police arrived, Murray twice rammed the vehicle and jumped out of his car, yelling at the 18-year-old driver and his passenger, punching the windows and kicking the door panels.
He later told police, "I'm sick of them. They are doing it most nights."
Murray's actions evoked comments from locals that he should get a "medal, not charges laid" and several neighbours rallied around in support.
However, the court saw it differently yesterday.
On the reckless driving charge, Murray was fined $500 and court costs of $130, as well as disqualified from driving for six months.
He was also ordered to pay $500 reparation to the young driver - less than half the amount argued for by prosecution.
On the charge of threatening language, Murray was convicted and fined $200.
Murray's lawyer, Viv Winiata, asked Community Magistrate Mary Symmans to consider reducing the six-month disqualification period for reckless driving given the unique circumstances of the case.
"To a point his actions are to be applauded," he said.
"The police and court would hardly want people to stay in their homes and turn a blind eye."
His client knew he had been "overzealous" in his actions but it was an "understandable response from a citizen who has had enough of this behaviour," he said.
Mr Winiata successfully argued that Murray not pay the full reparation amount of $1065 and instead offered $500.
Outside the courtroom after his sentencing, Murray told the Bay of Plenty Times he was pretty happy with the outcome.
"I bet you are," came the angry response from the mother of Daniel Machin, the boyracer.
Tensions were high as Murray and Machin's mother heatedly argued outside the courtroom until court security stepped in.
"They [boyracers] are mongrels and they will stay mongrels and I will do anything I can to get rid of them," Murray said.
"Little pricks like that devalue our properties."
Mrs Machin, who would not give her first name, said Murray's sentencing was "a joke".
"As far as I'm concerned he got a slap on the wrist."
Mr Murray had not taken responsibility for his actions, she said, while her son, now 19, was still on medication for lower back pain as the result of his car being rammed.
Her son knew he was in the wrong, she said, and should not have been driving the pink-stickered car. He had taken it out that day to show to prospective buyers.
"This is a 53-year-old man who lost his rag, went over there - in his undies - and ranted and raved to two scared 17 and 18-year-olds," she said.
Daniel Machin was convicted in July on a charge of driving in manner which caused sustained loss of traction and fined $1000.
He also lost his licence for eight months and was ordered to not have any part in ownership of a vehicle for 12 months.
Prosecuting officer, Sergeant Craig Kitto, said it was not acceptable to dish out vigilante style punishment and Murray should have instead taken down the registration number for police to deal with.
He reminded the court that Murray by no means had a clean police record, including a charge of dangerous driving and supplying false information. His last court appearance in 2003 was on a non-driving related matter.