A man who fled from police was found to be more than six times over the legal alcohol limit.

Richard Jackson Bishop, 24, pleaded guilty to charges of drink driving, driving while disqualified, and failing to stop for police when he appeared before Judge Brian Callaghan in the Ashburton District Court on Monday.

Bishop blew 1563 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath when police stopped him on McMurdo Street on January 20.

He had previously admitted an earlier charge of driving while disqualified on October 29, 2023.
Lawyer Joanne Lorrigan-Innes said Bishop had not driven since January 20 and had not had any alcohol.

She said Bishop had self-referred for alcohol counselling and had found his bail conditions around alcohol "useful for peer pressure around binge drinking".

Bishop will appear for sentencing on all four charges on June 4.

"I warn you if you do breach your bail conditions you run a high risk of being in custody," the judge said.

Charges denied

Allenton man Joshua Thomas Smith, 35, was arrested after he failed to appear in the Ashburton District Court

He appeared via video link from prison and pleaded not guilty to a raft of charges. These include receiving stolen items worth over $1000, accessing a computer for dishonest purposes, buying methamphetamine (meth), possessing a utensil for meth, and escaping police custody in 2023.

He also denied a charge of stealing black Slazenger trainers from the Warehouse in Ashburton on January 2.

Smith elected to have a judge-alone trial and will appear again on May 6.

Caught speeding

A Netherby woman caught speeding on Alford Forest Road was disqualified from driving for six months.

Trinity-Lee Gray, 22, admitted driving at a dangerous speed on March 17.

Duty lawyer Gretchen Hart said Gray was angry about something at home and impulsively decided to speed to drop people off and go and pick up her son.

Judge Callaghan said Gray was driving at a “very high speed”. He fined her $500 plus $130 in court costs and disqualified her from driving for six months.

Community work cancelled

A man who applied to have his community work sentence converted into a fine will pay $1500.

Patrick Raymond Albert, 34, was sentenced to 150 hours’ community work for the unlawful possession of guns and ammunition in July last year.

Duty lawyer Paul Bradford said Albert had completed 65 hours of this sentence, but wanted the balance cancelled to allow him to see his children.

Bradford said Albert would rather pay a fine than "forgo seeing his children".

Judge Callaghan cancelled the community work and fined Albert a total of $1500.

Cannabis charges admitted

A Tinwald man has admitted three cannabis-related charges.

Timothy James Butler, 39, pleaded guilty to charges of possessing cannabis, cultivating cannabis and possessing two pipes for smoking cannabis on March 8.

He will appear for sentencing on June 4.

Suspended sentence

Tyler Leckie, 29, admitted a breach of his community work sentence.

Duty lawyer Gretchen Hart said Leckie had completed 26 hours and had 114 hours remaining.

She said Leckie's circumstances had changed since he moved from Timaru to Ashburton and he had family to help with childcare and was committed to completing his community work.

Judge Callaghan gave Leckie a suspended sentence.

“Do your work - and if nothing else occurs it will be the end of it," the judge said.

Fell asleep at the wheel

Dennis Calos Alibanggo, 44, changed his plea to guilty on his first drink driving charge after police withdrew a charge of careless driving.

Duty lawyer Paul Bradford said Alibanggo had been out all day with friends and had a few drinks before he fell asleep at the wheel.

Bradford said Alibanggo supported his family in the Philippines and had written off his car.

Judge Callaghan fined Alibanggo $400 plus court costs and ordered him to pay reparation of $5545,47 at $50 a week. Alibanggo was also disqualified from driving for six months.

Alternative sentence

A man who had recently moved to Ashburton asked for an alternative sentence to community work.

Logan Terrence Heney had more than 220 hours of community work outstanding.

Lawyer Grant Fletcher said Heney had moved from Timaru to Ashburton and was working six days a week on the potato harvest and was unable to do community work.

Judge Callaghan cancelled the community work and gave Heney a 12-month supervision sentence along with three months' community detention with an 8pm to 6am curfew.

Heney's outstanding fines of about $1300 were also remitted as part of the sentence.

Restorative justice referral

Jason Moa, 23, pleaded guilty to two charges after police amended one charge.

He admitted a charge of family violence on December 11 and to assaulting a police officer on December 29 last year.

His case was remanded to allow for a restorative justice conference.

Moa will appear again on June 17.

Bad start to the year

A Timaru woman's year did not start well when she got caught for drink driving for the eighth time.

Monica Louise Raniahuia, 39, had earlier admitted drink driving on New Year's Day.

Judge Callaghan said there had been a seven or eight year gap in Raniahuia's offending.

He disqualified Raniahuia from driving for 12 months and one day and gave her a sentence of 12 months' supervision and four months' community detention with an 8pm to 5am curfew.

Community work and reparations

La Toya Hinerangi Mitchell Cormick, 32, pleaded guilty to a charge of theft from KMart in Ashburton.

Duty lawyer Gretchen Hart said Cormick had moved from Taranaki to Ashburton late last year wanting a new start. She said Cormick “came with nothing” and the items taken were sheets and blankets.

Cormick was sentenced to 75 hours' community work and ordered to pay $239 in reparation. She has four active charges in New Plymouth due for a case review on April 18.

Fined and disqualified

An Ashburton woman thought she was good to drive after a couple of drinks at a local club after work - but was charged with drink driving.

Nicola Jean Carrick, 47, blew 579mcg when stopped on Railway Terrace East in Rakaia on March 16.

Carrick was fined $500 plus $130 in court costs and given a six-month disqualification.

Cultivating cannabis

An Elgin woman was found growing cannabis as a way to self-medicate and manage pain from a spinal injury.

Duty lawyer Grant Fletcher said Tamara Lee Ross, 32, suffered from a prolapsed disc which she “self-medicated” to avoid using what she perceived to be addictive prescription pain medication.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Stuart Whyte said 19 cannabis plants and 22 mature seedlings were found on the property.

Fletcher said all of it was grown for personal use and just for pain relief, and Ross was not able to do community work due to her impending spinal surgery.

Judge Callaghan remanded Ross for sentencing on June 17.

Costly decision to drive

An Ashburton man is left needing to pay off $18,000 for a car he won't be able to use.

Peletiso Iaapia Meki, 22, pleaded guilty to driving while disqualified on February 21.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Stuart Whyte said a compulsory confiscation was in place for Meki's car, for repeatedly driving while disqualified.

Lawyer Gretchen Hart said Meki owes $18,000 on a 100%-financed car, even though the 2009 Mazda Saloon was only worth about $7000.

Judge Callaghan sentenced Meki to 80 hours' community work and disqualified him from driving for an additional 12 months from May 13, 2025.

Interlock sentence

Leeston man Patrick Minhinnick, 48, was found driving contrary to a zero alcohol licence and with an alcohol breath level of 575 micrograms on January 27 in Rakaia.

Judge Callaghan gave Minhinnick an interlock sentence, 12 months supervision, and three months' community detention with a 9pm – 4am curfew.

He was given and an additional month of community detention in lieu of the $3033.05 he owed in fines.

Family violence

Pauline Michelle Michie, 33, admitting charges of impeding breathing and family violence.

Judge Callaghan said Michie had no previous history of violence - but the most recent charges were very serious.

Lawyer Grant Fletcher said she understood there would be consequences for her actions and currently has supervised access to her children.

“Involvement in the criminal justice system had given her the nudge she needs to get her life back on track,” Fletcher said.

He said her background is “absolutely tragic” and she deals with grief issues. Michie referred herself for alcohol addiction.

Michie was sentenced to 18 months' intensive supervision and three months' community detention with an 8 pm – 6 am curfew.

By Sharon Davis

- Additional reporting Polly Nichols