Accused tried to drive into fisheries staff, court told

A Gisborne man caught with undersized paua repeatedly tried to drive into fisheries officers and threatened to shove some of his undersized catch, and also a camera, up their backsides, a court has been told.

Sickness beneficiary Nicholas George Smith, 38, was convicted in Gisborne District Court on Wednesday on two charges of assault with a blunt instrument, assault, escaping custody, reckless driving, driving without a licence, five charges of obstructing fisheries officers and two charges of possessing undersized paua, the Gisborne Herald reported

Police prosecutor Constable Tess Brownlie told the court that on December 19 last year, two fisheries officers approached Smith on Gisborne's Kaiti Beach.

When they were about 20 metres away, he drove towards one of the officers, who jumped out of the way.

"Check my ******* catch, you ****," he yelled.

Smith lost control of the vehicle, narrowly missing a toddler standing at the water's edge. He stopped the car but continued to swear at the officers as they searched his catch.

They found 30 undersized paua and one undersized crayfish.

He kicked one of the paua along the beach. "I might jam that paua up your ****," he screamed.

Smith then drove erratically along the beach, narrowly missing the officers and a Ministry of Fisheries patrol vehicle.

Smith, seeing one of the officers photograph his car, got out and ran toward him saying, "Don't take photos of me, *******".

The officer had to push him out of the way to avoid being hit.

"I'll shove that camera up your ****."

He was found by police in the hills by Kaiti Beach and told them he was "just playing".

Smith was remanded in custody until sentencing on September 8.

- NZPA