Kevin Locke
Warriors player Kevin Locke is skating on "very thin
ice"with the club, due to his numerous driving convictions, a
court has been told.
Locke was sentenced today in Auckland District Court to 80
hours' community work for a third driving offence.
He was also fined $1400.
The 23-year-old earlier pleaded guilty to a charge of driving
while disqualified, arising from being stopped by police
while driving in Ponsonby in May.
Locke's lawyer Sumudu Thode told the court Locke's career
would be in jeopardy should he be further disqualified from
driving, and therefore he sought a community-based sentence
instead.
"His position with the club is going to be compromised and Mr
Locke is very aware that he is skating on very thin ice in
respect of these charges."
The court was read extracts from a letter from Warriors'
management which said Locke could lose his NRL playing
contract should he be disqualified again.
It would not be feasible for the club to continue to make
excuses for Locke's inability to fulfil his contractual
duties, it said.
Ms Thode further submitted that it would be detrimental to
Locke's mental health.
Police accepted that the conviction would also impact on his
partner and their unborn child.
Judge Ann-Marie Skellern found that Locke was eligible for a
community-based sentence.
"I accept that previous disqualification has not had the
desired effect," she said.
She also took into account the "very real likelihood"of his
loss of employment and the effects of disqualification on his
pregnant partner.
She also accepted that he was going through a "difficult
depressive episode"at the time of his offending.
In January he pleaded guilty to two counts of driving while
disqualified and was fined a total of $900 and banned from
driving for a year.
The maximum penalty for driving while disqualified on a third
or subsequent occasion is two years imprisonment or a fine of
up to $6000, as well as being disqualified from driving for a
further year.
Locke was first banned from driving in December, 2010, and
the following month he was pulled over driving south of
Whangarei.
He told the police he did not know he was a suspended driver,
for which he was charged with giving false details to police,
but that was withdrawn.
Just over a month later he was again caught driving while
suspended.
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