October 20, 2011

Inmate's pig farm plea accepted by judge

By David Clarkson at Christchurch Men's Prison

A judge has accepted an inmate?s plea to hang onto his job at the Christchurch Men?s Prison pig farm.

The case came before a Christchurch District Court session inside the prison today.

The man had been charged with careless driving causing injury for failing to see a motorcyclist when he turned into a business in Opawa Road.

There was a crash and the motorcyclist got cuts on his arm and leg, injuries that prevented him using a birthday present of a Wellington trip.

However, Judge Stephen Erber noted that the police had found that the motorcycle?s brakes were not up to standard.

The police today reduced the charge to careless driving, and defence counsel Glenn Henderson argued in written submissions that it did not warrant the man being disqualified.

While serving a separate sentence, he was working at the prison pig farm, sometimes driving farm machinery. A licence was not legally required, but it was prison policy that inmates who were disqualified from driving could not do the work.

Judge Erber agreed, convicting the inmate and ordering him to pay $300 to the motorcyclist, but imposing no disqualification.