Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

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 / Whanganui Chronicle

Children afraid of the front yard after drunk driver crashed through fence

Jesse King
By Jesse King
Reporter·Whanganui Chronicle·
16 Dec, 2018 11:00 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

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

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Mautu Pa'a was sentenced for causing thousands of dollars worth of damage after he fell asleep at the wheel following a drinking session. Photo / Bevan Conley

Mautu Pa'a was sentenced for causing thousands of dollars worth of damage after he fell asleep at the wheel following a drinking session. Photo / Bevan Conley

Children are no longer feeling safe while playing in their front yard after a drunk driver came careening through their concrete fence.

Mautu Pa'a went to a party. He was drinking until he became intoxicated and fell asleep.

He was woken up to drive his family home. Lawyer Ollie Crosse said he was discombobulated, before getting in the car and driving.

Judge Philip Crayton said his error was to even consider driving home after drinking alcohol.

"If you do make such an error in the future, it will be a third or subsequent and with your history then you will be looking at prison," the Judge said.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"It was a matter of luck and chance, probably because of the time of night that you didn't kill anybody on this night."

Pa'a appeared before Judge Crayton in Whanganui District Court for sentencing, having pleaded guilty to excess breath alcohol and careless driving.

Pa'a had fallen asleep at the wheel.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"As it was, you know the damage that was caused. It was over $17,000 and that included trees, a glasshouse and a concrete fence," Judge Crayton said.

"That pretty much gives you an idea of what could have happened. No wonder the family who live there, their children are no longer feeling safe being in the front yard."

Pa'a was sentenced to 12 months' supervision, 40 hours' community work and ordered to pay $500 reparation.

He will be subject to getting an alcohol interlock licence and a device fitted to his vehicle after a 28-day disqualification period.

Discover more

Councillors at odds over seriousness of stream pollution

15 Dec 05:02 PM

Whanganui District Council fined $21,000 over Mowhanau stream pollution

13 Dec 09:51 PM
New Zealand

Drug dealer theme sparks stoush over kid's burger

14 Dec 07:00 PM

Vibe Music Festival is about the good, bad or otherwise

16 Dec 02:19 AM
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

RSA 'alive and well' despite premises closure

11 Jul 06:00 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

‘Everyone went silent’: Whanganui Youth MP speaks in Parliament

11 Jul 05:00 PM
Whanganui Chronicle

Major Joanna Margaret Paul exhibition opens

11 Jul 05:00 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

RSA 'alive and well' despite premises closure

RSA 'alive and well' despite premises closure

11 Jul 06:00 PM

Former members are 'more than welcome' to return, RSA Welfare Trust president says.

‘Everyone went silent’: Whanganui Youth MP speaks in Parliament

‘Everyone went silent’: Whanganui Youth MP speaks in Parliament

11 Jul 05:00 PM
Major Joanna Margaret Paul exhibition opens

Major Joanna Margaret Paul exhibition opens

11 Jul 05:00 PM
Shelley Loader: How we can all get a share of the apples

Shelley Loader: How we can all get a share of the apples

11 Jul 05:00 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

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
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP