Court wipes teen's $43,000 fines debt

A Rotorua teenager who refused to pay nearly $43,000 in traffic fines because he hates the police has had the amount he owes wiped.

In exchange, he has been sentenced to 300 hours' community work.

Nigel Caleb Wikiriwhi Dixon, 17, will now effectively be doing his community work for $143 an hour.

The teenager appeared in the Rotorua District Court on Wednesday. He originally appeared in court in May because he could not pay more than $31,000 in fines.

They were reduced to $5000 and he was ordered to do 300 hours' community work. Since then, he has racked up nearly $12,000 in further fines, bringing his total outstanding to nearly $17,000.

Judge Phillip Cooper yesterday wiped all the fines, cancelled Dixon's previous sentence of 300 hours' community work and issued him with a new sentence of 300 hours' community work.

Dixon has told the Daily Post he refuses to pay the fines because he hates the police.

"Me and my crew can't even drive down the road without them pulling me up."

He said he went to court yesterday expecting to go to jail.

The court heard the fines were from offences such as speeding, driving unregistered vehicles and failing to display learner licence labels.

Judge Cooper explained the sentence by saying 300 hours was a large sentence and to impose more hours would be "setting him up to fail".

"In this case, this man has amassed a huge amount of fines. He has continued to amass fines even though a substantial amount of those fines were remitted."

Judge Cooper said the Summary Proceedings Act provided restrictions on sending fines defaulters to jail when it could be shown the person before the court did not have a way of paying the money.

Judge Cooper said Dixon was only 17 and did not have any income.

"In this case, it is appropriate to remit the fines and impose a substantial sentence of community work."

Outside the court, however, Dixon said he did have money.

He said he chose not to use it paying off his fines.

-NZPA