37 driving bans in five years

Press, 13 February 1986, Page 4

37 driving bans in five years

A man who was described as having a fixation with motor-vehicles was sentenced in the District Court yesterday on his thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth and thirty-seventh offences of driving while disqualified.

All 37 of Neville Thomson’s disqualified driving offences have occurred since August, 1980. Thomson, aged 25, a forestry worker, was sentenced to periodic detention for eight months on the last three charges of driving while disqualified, and a charge of refusing to supply a specimen of blood. On a charge of careless driving he was convicted and discharged. Judge Paterson also disqualified Thomson from driving for, in effect, an indeterminate period, and at least until July, 1992.

On each disqualified driving charge a year was added to Thomson’s current period of disqualification to July 1989, to extend this to July, 1992. For refusing to supply a specimen of blood when asked by a traffic officer, he was disqualified from driving under a traffic regulation which provides that restoration of a driver’s licence is at the discretion of the Secretary of Transport. In addition, Thomson was put under supervision for a year, with conditions that he be assessed for alcoholism and that he take counselling as directed for alcohol addiction.

Thomson appeared for sentence yesterday after pleading guilty at a previous court appearance to two of the disqualified driving charges and the charges of careless driv-

Ing and refusing a blood sample. These offences occurred in Christchurch on December 2 and January 26. He also pleaded guilty yesterday to an offence of driving in Timaru while disqualified on August 25 last year — making his thirty-seventh conviction entered for this offence.

His counsel (Miss P. D. Costigan) in submissions yesterday successfully sought a sentence of periodic detention rather than imprisonment. She referred to mitigating factors in the present offences and said Thomson now had stable employment and was supporting a de facto wife and family. He had had a dismal start in life, with limited education and years as a State ward.

Thomson accepted that he had a fixation with motor-vehicles. His only leisure-time activity had been tinkering with cars, Miss Costigan said. He was supporting a family from a limited income, and had some positive qualities.. Senior Traffic Sergeant A. S. Dando referred to the list of Thomson’s convictions for driving while disqualified and said the charge of refusing to supply a specimen of blood was his sixth apprehension for a blood-alcohol-related matter.

The Judge said the extent of Thomson’s driving offences was alarming. He was a compulsive driver and had to learn that the disqualification orders imposed by the Court meant what they said.

He noted that Thomson now showed an interest in treating his addiction to alcohol.