COURT: Brother, son in relatives' bad books

Two young Napier men faced the music in both court and at home for separate vehicle offences which landed them in the Napier District Court yesterday.
Izach Rawiri Robinson Greeks, 21, pleaded guilty to a charge of providing false information, which a fortnight earlier led to his confused brother being arrested and taken to court on charges he knew nothing about.
Police said that on December 17 Greeks gave the name of his brother, to avoid detection for driving while his own licence was suspended.
Defence counsel Michael McAleer told Judge Mark Perkins yesterday the young man felt pretty stupid over being caught out.
Greeks was convicted and discharged for the offence, but in combination with the remission of more than $5000 in fines previously incurred at the wheel was sentenced to 170 hours community work after admit driving while forbidden.
He was also disqualified from driving for six months.
Jamie Michael Fargher, also 21, was given a quick reminder about just how far his father could go in seeking recourse for the unlawful taking of his car in Central Hawke's Bay.
Judge Mark Perkins was told that while the $29,000 car belonged to the 21-year-old's father, there was nothing which allowed Fargher to take the vehicle, much less disappear for three days and take the vehicle to Auckland.
Fortunately, said police prosecutor Sergeant Graeme Webster, the Ford Falcon, taken from Waipawa on December 30, was not damaged, and was brought back.
But his father Graeme Fargher persisted with the use of the law, said lawyer Philip Jensen as he appeared for Jamie Fargher, who pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawfully taking the car.
Judge Perkins hoped the point had been well-enough made, and convicted the young man and ordered him to come up for sentence within 12 months if called upon.
Fargher also pleaded guilty to a charge of breaching a liquor ban during the holiday season, and on that charge was fined $300 and ordered to pay court costs of $130.