Mother-of-five given chance to avoid jail so she can remain in her children’s lives

Disqualified driver Laura Patea sped off from police before abandoning her car after almost slamming into a power pole, the Whanganui District Court heard.

Laura Te Kapua Patea has been warned not to squander the chance she has to remain with her five children, rather than being locked behind bars for frequently flouting the law.

The 34-year-old appeared before Judge Jonathan Krebs in the Whanganui District Court on Monday for sentencing on a raft of driving charges.

Patea had previously pleaded guilty to two charges of driving while disqualified - third or subsequent, failing to stop for police and unlawfully taking a motor vehicle.

In December 2020, Patea had been disqualified from driving until July 2024.

On September 5, 2022, police attempted to stop Patea, who did not hold a driver’s licence, driving on Rimu St, Whanganui, and activated their red and blue flashing lights to try to get her to pull over.

Patea had different ideas and accelerated away at high speed, with officers choosing not to give chase due to the risk to the driver and other road users.

As Patea sped through roadworks, she hit road cones and narrowly avoided slamming into a power pole.

Police later found the vehicle abandoned, but Patea had fled the scene.

On October 27, Patea, who was on bail for the previous offending, stole her mother’s car and was stopped by police on Abbot St.

She told officers she was taking a friend and her baby to hospital, but police confirmed with her mother she didn’t have permission to take the car.

Defence lawyer Richard Leith said Patea’s mother was in court supporting her and had offered an address for home detention.

Judge Krebs invited Patea’s mother to speak to the court.

She said she was raising her daughter’s five children, as well as her own 12-year-old, but still wanted her to be part of their lives.

“I need her support to raise them well.”

She said she was trying to give Patea the tools to make more positive choices in her life.

Judge Krebs said Patea was fortunate to have a loving family.

“You’re very lucky to have a mum who continues to support you after all of the trouble you have caused.”

He started with a sentence of 22 months’ imprisonment, which was reduced to 16-and-a-half months after giving Patea a discount for her guilty pleas.

The sentence was then converted to eight months’ home detention.

While Patea got to remain in the community, she would not be behind the wheel on public roads any time soon, with the judge further disqualifying her from driving until July 2027.

Judge Krebs noted a pre-sentence report detailed Patea’s sense of entitlement resulted in her continuing to drive, but warned her to take the chance she was being given to remain with her children, as any breach would result in jail time.