Many come before the court after consuming hard liquor but 24-year-old Ilaijia Lalai Naituku blamed his crime on a different kind of spirit.
He appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday where the spooky circumstances of his crime were revealed.
Naituku was driving his Honda in Dunrobin St at 4.26am on September 15 — six weeks before Halloween — when he saw a mysterious figure beside the road.
"He saw someone waving him down, possibly a ghost," a police summary said.
"He stopped and reversed back to have another look. He went into a drain."
Who you gonna call?
Despite the spectre of prosecution, Naituku opted for the police.
Half an hour later, officers arrived and found the stranded vehicle.
The defendant showed signs of alcohol consumption and after a breath test, rather fittingly, elected blood instead.
His sample was later find to contain 135mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood — nearly three times the legal limit.
When asked to explain his actions, Naituku maintained his story.
"The defendant admitted to driving the vehicle.
"He said he got stuck in the drain because he saw a ghost," court documents said.
Community Magistrate Elder Robati fined Naituku $700, imposed reparation of $115 and court costs of $130.
He was banned from driving for six months.
