Excavator taken as a dare
An 18-year-old drunk-driver who used a pair of scissors to start an excavator for a dare has been told by a judge that he needs to “grow up”.
Malachi Shaune Thomas Brocket drove the excavator as a dare by friends at a party, but he was on a restricted licence, and was well above the zero alcohol level for under 20’s.
He had recently finished a community detention sentence for a series of street robberies in Riccarton.
Defence counsel Elizabeth Bulger said Brocket was working six days a week and had paid a lot towards his fines for previous driving charges.
Judge Paul Kellar said Brocket was being sentenced on charges of unlawfully taking the excavator, two charges of driving with excess breath-alcohol, and driving while suspended.
He said Brocket regarded the offending as a bit of a lark when at 11.30pm one night he got on the excavator and drove it to a nearby property.
Less than a month after that he was caught drink-driving again, and driving while he was suspended.
Judge Kellar said it was impetuous behaviour, and Brocket was a young man with a sense of entitlement, but who drank too much.
He minimised the seriousness of drink-driving offending, which had potentially very serious consequences not just for him, but for others on the road, Judge Kellar said.
He told Brocket that he needed to grow up, and sentenced him to home detention for three months, and disqualified him from driving for seven months.
Category: News
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