A Lake Hawea man who drove away from an alcohol checkpoint must pay nearly $2000 in fines and court costs.
James Gordon Bees, 48, was also disqualified for eight months after a judge-alone trial in the Queenstown District Court yesterday at which he made claims associated with the fringe "sovereign citizen" movement.
After a shaky start to the trial, when Judge Russell Walker had Bees placed in custody for contempt of court and threatened to continue the hearing in his absence, Bees returned to court after getting advice from a duty lawyer.
He was also charged with breaching bail after failing to appear in court on January 3.
Three police officers gave evidence about what happened after Bees was stopped at the checkpoint near the Albert Town bridge about 9pm.
When he was asked to pull over for an alcohol screening test, he asked if there was a warrant for his arrest, then drove off.
One of the officers followed him to the Albert Town Campground, where the defendant was unco-operative and argumentative as he repeatedly talked over the officer and refused to provide his name and address.
The officer said he could smell alcohol on the defendant as he arrested him.
Bees continued to be unco-operative at the Wānaka police station, where he refused to give a blood specimen or take the opportunity to speak to a lawyer.
Throughout the process, he spoke over the officer trying to process him, repeatedly saying "I do not understand" and "I do not consent".
When he refused to sign a bail bond, he was driven to the Queenstown police station to spend the night in custody.
Bees, who represented himself at the trial, told Judge Walker he did not recognise the court’s jurisdiction, and did not want to be referred to by the name on his charging documents.
He did not give evidence, saying he was "carrying out his freedom to travel" at the time of the incident.
Judge Walker found all four charges proven, entered convictions, imposed an eight-month disqualification, and ordered him to pay a total of $1500 in fines and $429 in court costs.
Other sentences imposed by Judge Walker this week were.—
• Jeremy Bernard Stephane Labois, 28, builder, French national, of Lake Hawea, drink-driving (506mcg), Plantation Rd, June 16, fined $500, court costs $143, disqualified six months.
• Marshall Jones, 20, labourer, of Invercargill, possessing a weapon (knuckle duster), August 26, Queenstown; assault, January 2, Queenstown, 80 hours’ community work, 12 months’ supervision.
