Senior policeman in court over crashed car incident

A senior Rotorua police officer has appeared in court after a police car was found crashed into a power pole then abandoned almost two months ago.

Sergeant Keith Mitchell, head of Rotorua's dog section, pleaded not guilty to careless use of a motor vehicle and making a false statement that an offence was committed.

His appearance in the Rotorua District Court yesterday follows the discovery of the unmarked silver station wagon ditched on the city's eastern outskirts early on July 1.

The vehicle was assigned to Mitchell and it is understood he has been stood down since the incident, but police continued to maintain their silence on his job and other aspects of the investigation.

The charges against Mitchell were laid on Monday and he was remanded on bail for a further court appearance in October.

After the station wagon was found wrapped around the power pole on Pukehangi Rd, police confirmed Mitchell was the designated driver but said they were unsure who was driving it before it hit the pole.

They launched an internal investigation, sending the vehicle for forensic tests and asking the Rotorua District Council for security footage to help identify the driver.

Police said they had attended the 5.30am incident but "some time afterwards" and did not find anyone at the scene.

A police source told the Herald the vehicle was reported stolen later on the day of the crash, which temporarily cut power to almost 2000 homes and destroyed the power pole.

Rotorua area commander Inspector Bruce Horne initially said he hoped the internal investigation would be completed in days, rather than weeks. He was unavailable for comment yesterday, and Detective Inspector Garth Bryan, crime manager at Bay of Plenty headquarters and head of the investigation, said: "The police management are not making any comment on this matter."

Mitchell was hailed as a hero in May for saving the lives of two men by clinging to the bumper of their car as it teetered over an 8m bank.

He did not return calls yesterday and has not done so since the July 1 incident first made news.

The station wagon was understood to be a write-off, but police would say only that it was being assessed by insurers.

Police headquarters in Wellington said Mitchell would not automatically lose his job if convicted.

"When all criminal process has been completed, then we would look at considering any employment or disciplinary action that may be required," spokesman Jon Neilson said.