Chris Pine walks into the Ashburton District Court this morning. Photo / Ashburton Guardian
Chris Pine walks into the Ashburton District Court this morning. Photo / Ashburton Guardian
A calm Chris Pine signed autographs and spoke with fans as he emerged from the Ashburton District Court following his high-profile appearance this morning.
A large group of local teenage girls - who were lucky enough to be on a teacher only day - waited outside with a swag ofnational media before Pine came out of court shortly after 11am.
"It's all good guys, it's all going to be okay,'' he said as fans and media crowded in on him.
He spent about 30 seconds with fans, local teen Harriet Lane, 16, getting her Star Trek DVD signed by the Hollywood star, before he walked through the media scrum to his awaiting BMW 4WD and was escorted away.
He did not respond to any media questions following his guilty plea to the drink driving charge before Judge Joanna Maze.
She convicted him and he was fined $93 in reparation for the blood test, and disqualified from driving for six months. No fine was imposed because he had made a sizable donation to charity Cure Kids.
Fans screamed as he was driven away, and shared stories about their experience with the actor.
"That was awesome, I got so many photos of his face, and I touched his beard, that was so exciting,'' one fan said.
Momentum built from 9am as media outlets from across the country converged on the small district court.
Chris Pine (sporting sunglasses and beard) is surrounded by autograph hunters. Photo / Ashburton Guardian
The Ashburton District Court found itself in the unusual position of facing the media glare.
While Pine's court case is the headline story of the day, the `big-name-comes-to-small-town' sideshow added another element to this bizarre case that has gripped media across the world.
TV crews and photographers milled for about an hour talking with fans and among themselves, many wondering if the 33-year-old would even show for his court date as rumours circulated he was still in Sydney.
When he did, shortly after 10am, he was faced with questions from the media but made no comment as he was accompanied into court by at least two unidentified wingmen.
