Student convicted, fined for obstructing officer

A University of Otago student has been convicted and fined for obstructing a policeman during an Easter weekend trip to Queenstown.

Jeremy Stewart Edward (22) appeared before Judge Bernadette Farnan in the Queenstown District Court this week on a charge of obstructing a police officer, Blair Duffy, then a constable, in the resort's CBD on April 5.

Giving evidence, Sergeant Duffy said he arrested Edward's friend in Queenstown Mall about 12.15am after seeing him urinating against the back wall of a bar.

Edward had tried to intervene, and despite being told at least twice to move away or be arrested for obstruction, continued to try getting between him and the original offender.

The defendant then put his hands in his friend's pockets and removed a wallet and cigarettes.

Sgt Duffy said he then arrested Edward and took him to the police station, where he continued to be ''rude and obnoxious''.

Giving evidence, Edward said his friends yelled at Sgt Duffy and were ''quite upfront and in his face''.

He had taken his friend's wallet because, after losing his own earlier, he had transferred money to his friend's account so that he had spending money.

He had drunk ''between five and eight'' stubbies of beer before going into town and two more while in town.

Under cross-examination from prosecutor Sergeant Ian Collin, Edward admitted to being intoxicated, but denied being ''verbal'' to Sgt Duffy.

Judge Farnan said she favoured Sgt Duffy's evidence, and asked for submissions on sentencing.

Counsel Tim Cadogan said Edward had no previous convictions, and had expressed remorse for the situation Sgt Duffy had found himself in.

Sgt Collin said the defendant had turned down an offer of diversion and counselling.

He had twice received warnings for alcohol-related incidents previously, and had been granted a discharge without conviction on a wilful damage charge that was also alcohol-related.

Since the incident in question, the defendant had been arrested on another matter in Dunedin.

Judge Farnan convicted Edward and fined him $500 and $130 court costs.

 

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