KEY POINTS:
The head of a police dog unit who fled after crashing his police vehicle into a power pole let alcohol and involvement with another woman destroy a distinguished career, a court heard yesterday.
The Rotorua sergeant has resigned and his marriage is over after he crashed his car, then fled the scene and reported the vehicle stolen following a drinking session with a female colleague.
Keith Mitchell blushed and hung his head as the Tauranga District Court heard how he drove the Holden Commodore stationwagon across the centre line after a night drinking with the female police staff member.
Less than two hours before the crash he had picked her up from a hotel and driven her to her home in the early hours.
Mitchell, 47, was convicted of careless driving and making a false statement when he changed his plea to guilty.
Mitchell, who received a Police Commissioner's commendation during his 16 years in the force, was ordered to pay reparation and court costs, and discharged.
He declined to comment after the hearing but his lawyer, Jonathan Temm, told the court Mitchell had resigned.
"As a result of this incident his marriage has [also] dissolved," Mr Temm said.
In May last year, Mitchell - a father of two primary-school-aged children - was hailed as a hero for saving the lives of two men by clinging to the bumper of their van as it teetered over an 8m bank.
Judge Ian Thomas said Mitchell had put himself in a situation in his personal life that involved another person and alcohol and had ruined a "distinguished career".
"You made a very poor judgment call by reporting the theft of the vehicle," Judge Thomas said.
"You've lost your job, you've lost your family, [and] there's financial loss."
According to a summary of facts read to the court by Crown prosecutor Duncan McWilliam, Mitchell was given the stationwagon to use on police business, including travelling to and from work.
On June 30, which was a Friday, he socialised and drank alcohol at the Rotorua police station into the evening.
Mr McWilliam said Mitchell then continued drinking with a female police staff member at several bars in central Rotorua, including the Pig & Whistle, Fuze Bar and Pheasant Plucker.
About 3am, Mitchell left his companion and drove 2km to a service station and bought a cigarette lighter and cigarettes.
About 3.45am, he received a call from the female colleague and drove back to the central city to the Novotel Hotel, where he picked her up and took her to her Paradise Valley home on the western outskirts of Rotorua.
About two hours later, as he was driving to his house, he fell asleep at the wheel and crossed the centre line, Mr McWilliam said.
Mitchell's vehicle mounted a kerb on the opposite side of the road and travelled about 45m on the grass verge before ploughing into a concrete power pole.
Mitchell then ran from the vehicle but returned to it a short time later to recover unknown property, before fleeing the scene.
At 8.05am, he reported the stationwagon stolen, saying it had been taken from the driveway of his home with the keys inside.
He was interviewed by a Rotorua senior sergeant at midday. He told her he had been drinking at the police station until about midnight and had a sleep before driving home.
He said he had parked the stationwagon in his driveway between 3am and 4am.
"When questioned about how much alcohol he had consumed before driving home, [he] declined to speak to the interviewing officer any further," Mr McWilliam said.
On August 16, Mitchell was re-interviewed by Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Turner, head of the Tauranga criminal investigation bureau.
He maintained that the stationwagon had been stolen from his driveway.
Bay of Plenty district commander Superintendent Gary Smith said Mitchell's actions were disappointing.
"Any police officer is disappointed with a peer, colleague, or with any police member [who] breaches the law and needs to go to court."
THE CHARGES
* Sergeant Keith Mitchell admitted charges of careless driving and making a false statement. A further charge of conversion of a motor vehicle was withdrawn.
THE PENALTY
* Mitchell was ordered to pay $10,000 to the police insurer and $1890 to a power company for damage caused when he crashed and wrote off a police vehicle.
* For the careless driving conviction, he was ordered to pay $130 in court costs and was fined $750 and court costs of $130 for making a false statement.
