Wairarapa cop escapes conviction

DISCHARGED: A police officer who crashed at Featherston in June has been discharged without conviction and granted name suppression. PHOTO/FILE

Murmurs of "unfair" were heard from the court gallery after a Wairarapa police officer was discharged without conviction with name suppression after pleading guilty to causing a road crash at a dimly-lit Featherston intersection.

The man, with close to 20 years in policing, appeared before Justices of the Peace David Baker and Neil Cameron yesterday in Masterton District Court.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Nick Newbery said on the evening of June 11 the police officer was in an unmarked police car following a speeding driver when he crashed into a Toyota Surf ute after pulling out of the Fox and Birdwood St intersection.

Travelling about 20km, he hit the rear of the Toyota travelling south, causing the other vehicle to spin 180 degrees, coming to rest on its side on Fox St, Mr Newbery said.

The officer wasn't speeding or in pursuit and offered assistance immediately, he said.

"He didn't accelerate."

Lawyer Letizea Ord said her client was remorseful, accepted responsibility immediately, apologising to the other driver at the scene.

At the time he was working and had noticed a car being driven dangerously and at speed in the South Wairarapa town and began following it to pull the driver over.

He was unfamiliar to Featherston, only recently moving to Wairarapa and on the night of the collision it was raining and dark, Ms Ord said.

The intersection was poorly lit with the Give Way sign not well illuminated and trees obscuring the sign, she said.

"There were a number of contributing factors ... difficulty with road markings. They have not been painted for a number of years," she said.

Her client had offered to make an emotional harm payment of $200 to the victim as "he should be compensated", Ms Ord said.

She submitted under the circumstances her client should be granted a discharge without conviction and asked he not be disqualified from driving as that would raise employment issues for him.

"He was engaged in driving for his job ... I ask you don't take his licence. He's never been involved in an accident before ... he is unfamiliar to the Featherston area and culpability was low, given the circumstances."

The Justices of the Peace adjourned briefly before granting the officer final name suppression, discharging him without conviction but ordering he pay $200 emotional harm reparation and another $200 court costs.

"This was at the lower end of the scale ... we acknowledge the importance of your position in the community."