ENTREPRENEUR Seeby Woodhouse has been disqualified from driving after allegedly driving his Maserati at more than 170kmh near Taupo.
A speed camera snapped his Italian luxury sports car travelling at 170kmh in a 100 kmh zone on Boxing Day 2009. But Mr Woodhouse, who had been driving to Napier from Auckland with an ex-partner, could not recall if he was the driver.
“We swapped somewher around Taupo and we don’t know whether it was before [the speed-camera] or after that,” he said.
‘There was a definite possibility that I wasn’t driving, but neither of us remember driving at that speed.”
He disputed the accuracy of the speed camera, which he said had lacked a certificate of accuracy at the time of the infringement.
“I accept that maybe the speed was high, but it [the speed camera] may not have been 100 per cent correct.”
Last week in the High Court at Hamilton, his lawyer fought to have his dangerous speed conviction quashed, but yesterday Justice Potter dismissed the appeal. Mr Woodhouse has already served some of his eight-month disqualification.
He was unsure if he would appeal again and had paid the $1500 fine.
He said a number of key points were not discussed at the initial trial, including driver identification and camera location.
“I don’t want to waste anyone’s time, but there were quite a few things that didn’t make sense to me.
“I wasn’t happy to put my hand up and say it was me because there was uncertainty about the camera’s accuracy and location.”
He has since sold the Masserati.
“I certainly don’t remember travelling at that speed, but … they go faster than you think.”
Source: The Dominion Post. 14 April 2011. Business Day. p. C1.
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