Former politician in court for limited licence following speeding incidents
Former politician and police officer Chester Borrows has made a brief appearance in court.
The 62-year-old, who was with National for 12 years before retiring as the Whanganui electorate MP in 2017, was in Hāwera District Court on Tuesday where he was granted a limited driver’s licence.
Only weeks before Christmas Borrows, who is based in the South Taranaki town of Hāwera, had his licence suspended for three months after racking up 100 demerit points within two years.
At the time, Borrows, who currently chairs a Government advisory group charged with helping reform the criminal justice system, told Stuff he was deeply embarrassed about the misdemeanours.
The penalty points followed four speeding tickets issued to Borrows within the two-year time frame. Demerit points are given for all non-speed camera speeding infringements. The penalty points given depend on by how much the speed is exceeded, with the maximum points of 50 given to drivers exceeding the speed limit by more than 35 kilometres per hour.
At the end of a demerit suspension, the driver will be unlicensed until they have reinstated their licence.
A limited licence can be granted during the period of suspension under circumstances of extreme hardship, such as not being able to get to work.
Defence lawyer Nathan Bourke represented Borrows, who was called by his legal name of Kerry James Borrows and was not required to stand in the court dock.
Judge Lynne Harrison granted the application without issue.
It’s not Borrows first appearance in court, in 2017 he was found not guilty of a charge of careless driving causing injury after driving over the foot of a protester in Whanganui in 2016.
Do as I say, Not as I do
He was just showing his contempt for the law. Afterall, all those criminals he deems need softly handling are not responsible for their criminal activity either.
Doesn’t he have friends?
Once a cop never an honest man.
I once had heaps of respect for Chester.
I have woken up to the fact he is on the gravy train and no better than the plonkers on left that he supports.
Shame on you.
4 speeding tickets to breach the 100 demerit points limit. So to have that exceed that, from an assumed 0 baseline, he’d have to have 2 offenses between 10 and 20 over (20 demerits each) and 2 of 20 – 30 over (35 demerits each).
As I’m typing this though, between 10 and 20 over … means you’re potentially driving a 110 – 115 on a motorway. I ask myself how many times I’ve done that over the last two years and have to honestly say I’d probably be in the same boat as Mr Borrows. I’m not always a saintly, 100km/h driver.
While I’d like to condemn him as a leadership figure, I’m not much better. Are you guys all good drivers like that?
Few of us are saintly drivers, but you have to be seriously dumb to get caught that many times.
Remember none of these are pole or van camera offences. I wonder how many of those there are.
Never mind the special licence, chuck the book at this dude – he’s a slow learner.
So there should have been no surprise
So the crime is one of being caught then 🙂
Isn’t it always?
Often lol because it is doubtful that you get caught every time, so he must do it a shitload
I agree Harvey. When passing a truck and trailer I often get up to 140 km but then slow down. In the last 10 years or more I have got one ticket for 10 to 20 km over. If I started to get demerits I would modify my driving.
Borrows should not be on some committee about crime if he shows no respect for the law.
Its funny what happens when the right work with the left , they become crims , I hope he hasn’t been in Cindy’
s office