November 13 2021
The Freedoms & Rights Coalition protest group had proposed a "Great Gridlock" of slow moving vehicles to block traffic across several New Zealand cities today.
A Hamilton pre-school owner is facing charges after allegedly allowing a woman to ride on her vehicle during the Freedom & Rights Coalition "Great Gridlock" in the city which saw traffic drawn to a standstill for hours.
Patsy Ann Paul made a brief appearance in the Hamilton District Court todayfacing three charges after the November 13 incident in the city which saw 300 vehicles logjam the roads from 11am.
The 49-year-old faces not only a charge of breaching Covid level 3 restrictions by leaving her home for a purpose other than for essential personal movement but also charges of operating a vehicle on Mangaharakeke Dr without reasonable consideration for other persons using the road and permitting a person to ride on the vehicle in a position which may have been liable to cause that person injury.
All the three charges are fine only up to a maximum of $3000.
Paul, the owner Endeavours Kindergarten in Flagstaff, was remanded at large without plea to seek legal advice.
She will reappear in court in January.
The gridlock saw the coalition protesters - including cars, van, trucks and motorbikes - begin their 23km journey north of Hamilton near Horotiu at 11am before travelling south to Waikato Hospital and back north to Te Rapa.
Meanwhile, the 36-year-old woman, from Rototuna North, accused of riding on the car is facing two charges - riding on a vehicle on a road in a position which may have been liable to cause injury to the rider and breaching Covid alert level 3 conditions by leaving home for a purpose other than for essential personal movement.
