PM's motorcade case in court

The Prime Minister's motorcade had no legal right to be travelling at speeds over 140km an hour through Canterbury last July a court has heard.

The case against five police officers and a civilian driver began in the Timaru District Court before Judge John Strettell this morning.

The police officers charged include Waimate's Clint Vallender, Timaru's Alister Doonan and Ian Howard, and Ashburton's Simon Vincent.

The name of one other police officer and a civilian man are suppressed.

Such was the interest in the case, the 15 media was forced into the public gallery and the six defendants had to be seated in the jury box.

The Crown opened its case alleging the motorcade travelled at speed in excess of 140km an hour and that nothing in the circumstances justified travelling at that speed, prosecutor Tim Gresson said.

The Prime Minister was travelling from Waimate to Christchurch to catch a flight after her planned flight out of Timaru was cancelled.

The Crown plans to call 31 witness including several senior New Zealand police officers and the Prime Minister's press secretary. The case is set down for two weeks.