Woman removed from court for calling judge racist; gets community work on other charges

Judge Dugald Matheson had Abigail Huirama removed from the courtroom when she went on a tirade while being sentenced, calling him a racist in the process. Photo / Lewis Gardner

A woman was sentenced in Whanganui District Court after her case was stood down and she was held in custody for calling the judge a racist.

Abigail Christine Huirama pleaded guilty to giving police false details, resisting arrest and using insulting language on Tuesday .

However, once police prosecutor Sergeant Graham Hoskin had finished reading the police summary of facts, Huirama launched into a tirade that disputed those facts.

"I've been here for like, this is my seventh hearing for these petty little charges, so I just thought I'd plead guilty to them so I can move on with my life," Huirama said.

"This is bull****. You're bull****. You're a f*****g racist."

Judge Dugald Matheson stood the case down and had Huirama taken into custody.

Huirama was driving on Jones St at about 8.40pm on January 24 when she was stopped by police, giving them a false name and date of birth when asked to identify herself.

The constable involved caught on to Huirama's lies and advised her that it was an offence to provide incorrect identity details.

Hoskin said the constable told Huirama she could not leave until she properly identified herself.

"When she was challenged about her identity, the defendant put her key in the ignition, started the car and started to drive off, but he was able to turn the key off and stop her," Hoskin said.

The constable then told Huirama to exit the vehicle as she was under arrest; however, she refused to do so.

He grasped her arm to put handcuffs on her and she resisted by pulling back, but her efforts were futile and eventually she was arrested.

"During the arrest process the defendant made racist offensive comments to the constable who is of Chinese descent," Hoskin said.

"They said I called him a 'chink' and that's not even in my vocab," Huirama responded.

When Huirama was called back into court, she apologised to Judge Matheson, who accepted her apology and said that was all he wanted to hear from her.

Lawyer Richard Leith said Huirama accepted she provided false details and used offensive language, but believed it played out differently than the summary stated.

Huirama had given birth last week and was in an emotional state when she arrived at court, he said.

Judge Matheson sentenced Huirama to 40 hours community work.

"Get her out of here," he said.