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Kiri Allan has been convicted for refusing to accompany police after crashing a car while over the drink-driving limit.
The disgraced former Justice Minister pleaded guilty this morning to the charge. She had earlier admitted a charge of careless driving.
Allan was due to go on trial in the Wellington District Court this morning for an incident in which she crashed into a parked car while over the legal alcohol limit, then refused to go with police. She ended up being arrested and taken to the police cells after the incident in July.
But having pleaded guilty at the last minute, she was convicted and sentenced to a fine of $300, and ordered to pay $5296 reparation. She had unsuccessfully applied for a discharge without conviction for the refusing to accompany charge.
Allan, who resigned her portfolios and left politics after the incident, had elected a judge-alone trial, earlier telling the Herald she wanted to test an apparent grey area in the law about the right to consult a lawyer.
This morning, Allan maintained her legal advice suggested there was a case to be argued.
“The last year has been challenging and is a chapter I am wanting closed,” she told the Herald.
“This case is a bookend to that and while the legal advice I received made it clear there was a case to be argued, I’m focused on the future, my whanau and concentrating on what’s important.”
NZ Herald
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