Tourist fined for 178km/h rip teaches British police driving skills

The driver was clocked at 178kmh in a 100kmh speed zone on State Highway 6 near Hokitika on Sunday. File photo / NZ Herald

An English tourist fined in Queenstown today for driving at 178kmh teaches driving skills to English police officers.

Peter Lee, 46, of Kent, appeared for sentencing before Judge Michael Crosbie at Queenstown District Court.

He was convicted yesterday of a charge of driving at a dangerous speed after being clocked at 178kmh in a 100kmh speed zone on State Highway 6 near Hokitika on Sunday.

Judge Crosbie appeared surprised when Lee said he ''instructs and works with the police on driving matters''.

Asked to explain further, Lee said he was a driving instructor whose work included teaching driving skills to serving and retiring police officers.

Duty solicitor Liam Collins said Lee had been speeding because his father, who was a passenger in the rental vehicle, was suffering from diarrhea and urgently needed to use a toilet.

The speeding had occurred on a 5km straight stretch of road.

''He wasn't overtaking on blind corners as in commonly seen in this part of the world.''

The court heard yesterday that Lee would struggle to pay a fine of more than a few hundred dollars.

He was before the England courts on bankruptcy and liquidation matters, and his trip to New Zealand was being wholly funded by his father.

Mr Collins said Lee had been busking in the resort last night and used ''crowdsourcing'' to raise the necessary funds.

Judge Crosbie said Lee was guilty of ''grossly excessive speeding'' at a time when the conduct of tourist drivers was under scrutiny.

''While you might have had a reason for moderately exceeding the speed limit, there is no justification for that speed.

''Whether you are driving in a straight line or not, you pose a risk to other members of the public.''

He imposed a $1000 fine, $130 court costs and disqualified him from driving for nine months.

Failure to pay the fine within 24 hours would result in a 21-day period of imprisonment.

''If the fine isn't paid, you will be stopped at the border and taken into custody.''