We appreciate his honesty.
Honesty pays off. Timothy Brooks Holden has to complete 150 hours of community service, and his driver’s licence will be suspended for 18 months. NZ Herald reported that he was stopped by police for exceeding the speed limit on July 23, 2021. A radar recorded him speeding at 176 km/h (109.3 miles per hour) on a rural road in New Zealand. However, the man claimed he was going faster. What, what?
The Napier District Court heard that he was driving at 195 km/h (121.1 miles) not to test the car’s top speed but to “beat” the car next to it. He was participating in a street race. Holden argued that the sentence was “manifestly unreasonable” and appealed to the High Court. He claimed that a 12-month ban would have been more fair.
A judge came up with a different opinion. This is not surprising considering the driver’s six prior convictions. The 1998 Land Transport Act of New Zealand states that “sustained loss of control” is illegal. He not only violated the law, but also injured someone. In 2006, he was sentenced to prison.
Holden also received 20 infringements that were subject to demerit points between 2002 and 2020. This shows that his illegal conduct is not just a one-off. Lisa Grant, a lawyer, defended her client, saying that the race was on a straight rural road with no other cars than Holden’s and the police car.
James Bridgman, police counsel, replied that the race was held in winter at 11 pm with no street lights so visibility was an issue. Because of his extensive rap sheet, Holden’s appeal against the decision was denied.
Justice Gendall was the appeal judge.