The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Otago farm manager fined over smashing spree

Otago Daily Times
16 Dec, 2021 09:43 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article
Jaime Pickens (29) will pay nearly $1000 to cover the damage he caused during a joyride with mates. Photo / Robb Kidd

Jaime Pickens (29) will pay nearly $1000 to cover the damage he caused during a joyride with mates. Photo / Robb Kidd

An Otago farm manager who deliberately destroyed several road signs could have caused catastrophe with his "idiotic driving", a judge says.

Jaime Lee Gaastra Pickens, 29, was showing off to his passengers when he embarked on the late-night rampage, the Dunedin District Court heard this week.

"He was with younger people, he was carried away and behaved in a juvenile fashion," counsel Alex Bligh said.

"He completely admits this is absolutely stupid behaviour."

Pickens was driving the Toyota ute, equipped with a large bull bar, on October 24 in Fennesy Rd when the destructive joyride began.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

At the intersection with Naseby-Ranfurly Rd, he crashed into a give way sign, snapping it at the bottom.

From there, the defendant deliberately ploughed into a farm gate before continuing north towards Naseby.

Over a distance of a couple of kilometres, Pickens smashed into two road signs, an ice warning sign and a speed advisory sign near a corner.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Approaching Naseby, his recklessness proved to be his downfall.

He veered across the road in a bid to take out yet another sign but in the process of ramming it, the ute became bogged in a ditch and he was unable to reverse out.

Judge David Robinson called it a "sustained course of idiotic driving".

"There seems to be a bit of bravado involved in this offending.

"While you perceive yourself as a role model for younger staff you certainly haven't behaved in a manner consistent with that," he said.

The judge highlighted how dangerous Pickens' actions were.

A missing give way sign could have seen another driver pass through an intersection and into the path of traffic and similarly an absent speed advisory indicator might have proved fatal for a someone who was unaware they needed to slow down, he said.

It was "very much a case of good luck and not good management" that no-one was hurt, Judge Robinson said.

Pickens was fined $500 and ordered to pay reparation of $952, along with court costs of $130.

He was banned from driving for a month.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Bligh said her client was "very embarrassed and very remorseful" and would pay the financial penalties immediately.

Save
    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

New unseen photos reveal Tom Phillips' campsite conditions

The Country

Record red meat prices on The Country

The Country

Western Australia sheep tour sparks new thinking for Kiwi farmers


Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

New unseen photos reveal Tom Phillips' campsite conditions
The Country

New unseen photos reveal Tom Phillips' campsite conditions

Phillips was shot dead after 4 years on the run. His kids are 'safe and well', say police.

09 Sep 03:04 AM
Record red meat prices on The Country
The Country

Record red meat prices on The Country

09 Sep 01:32 AM
Western Australia sheep tour sparks new thinking for Kiwi farmers
The Country

Western Australia sheep tour sparks new thinking for Kiwi farmers

08 Sep 11:04 PM


Kiwi campaign keeps on giving
Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP