Blues star Super Caleb Clarke on playing for the Blues and the close relationship with his father. Video / Sky Sport
Newly released court documents detail how All Blacks and Blues player Caleb Clarke fled from police in December.
He was tracked by helicopter, reaching speeds of 110km/h in a 50km/h residential zone.
He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and failing to stop for police earlier this week and is set for sentencing in June.
All Blacks and Blues star Caleb Clarke was at one point riding his Yamaha motorbike at an estimated 110km/h in a 50km/h residential zone as police tracked him with a helicopter late last year.
But he was ultimately “apprehended without incident”.
Clarke, 25, pleaded guilty onMonday to failing to stop for police and driving in a dangerous manner. Court documents released to the Herald this afternoon outline what led up to the arrest.
The Henderson resident had been riding his motorbike westbound on State Highway 16 in Western Springs at around 12.20am on Tuesday, Dec 3, when police clocked him breaking the 80km/h speed limit. It is not clear in the agreed summary of facts for his case exactly how fast he was going at that point.
Caleb Clarke on a Yamaha R7 motorcycle. Photo / Supplied
“Police signaled the defendant to stop by using lights and sirens,” the summary of facts states. “The defendant increased his speed to evade police and made no attempts to pull over.”
Clarke exited the motorway on Great North Rd and “continued at speed” towards Blockhouse Bay. Authorities noted in the document that Great North Rd is a residential area “flanked by numerous driveways and side streets” and so has a reduced speed limit.
“The defendant continued to evade police and at the intersection of Rata St and Binsted drove through a red light,” the document states. “The air support unit tracked the defendant, and he dismounted his motorcycle on Great North Rd and was apprehended without incident.”
Clarke was described by police as having never been before the court before.
“The defendant stated that he panicked when he saw the police, and this was why he did not pull over,” the summary of facts concludes.
Clarke could face up to three months' imprisonment for the driving in a dangerous manner charge along with a $4500 fine. Failing to stop for police while exceeding the speed limit is punishable by a fine of up to $10,000.
He is scheduled for sentencing in June and his lawyer has indicated he will ask for a discharge without conviction.
Clarke started in nine tests for the All Blacks last year and helped the Blues attain their first Super Rugby title in 21 years. He comes from a rugby union dynasty of sorts: his father, Eroni Clarke, was also a former Blues and All Blacks player, and his grandfather played for the Samoan national rugby team.
Last year’s season has been touted as his best in Super Rugby to date, with Clarke having led in line breaks and metres gained while earning a spot in the top three for tries.
So far, Clarke has played 29 tests for the All Blacks since his debut in 2020, and scored 13 tries.
The Blues initially issued a statement for Clarke on the same day of his guilty plea in which he described being “extremely apologetic and embarrassed” about his “error in judgment”. That, however, was later retracted by the team in lieu of a more generic statement.
“Caleb has admitted the offending and will be sentenced in June,” the new statement read. “He will now go through both that court process and, once it is complete, an internal employment procedure. Caleb is a valued member of the Blues family and will be provided with support throughout.”
Craig Kapitan is an Auckland-based journalist covering courts and justice. He joined the Herald in 2021 and has reported on courts since 2002 in three newsrooms in the US and New Zealand.
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