What ex-politician Kiri Allan told police on night of arrest
Photo:
RNZ / Angus Dreaver
Kiri Allan was verbally abusive and "physically inactive and physically resistant" when the then-Justice Minister was arrested after crashing into a parked car in 2023.
Documents released under the Official Information Act provide additional notes and recollections from police officers that night, 23 July 2023.
Her breath tests returned results well over the limit, and she
resigned as Justice Minister the next morning
.
She pleaded guilty to careless driving, and, after initially pleading not guilty, to
another charge of failing to accompany a police officer
.
Photos taken on Sunday night of a Hyundai Kona - a electric car available to ministers - blocking one lane of a road.
Photo:
Supplied
The officers' notes stated that she repeatedly refused instructions, and did not blow through the mouthpiece on her first breath test attempt about 9.22pm. Her second test result exceeded 400 micrograms - the legal limit is 250.
She repeatedly asked to speak to a lawyer and was repeatedly warned and asked to return to Wellington Central police station with an officer to take a breath test that could be used as evidence, but repeatedly refused - including refusing to walk to a police car.
After being handcuffed at about 9.42pm, she became verbally abusive towards the officers, the notes said.
"She became physically inactive and physically resistant, and grabbed hold of shrubbery to avoid being moved to the patrol vehicle. Once moved to the patrol vehicle, Ms Allan initially refused to get into the passenger seat.
"During the drive, Ms Allan said words to the effect that she wrote the law and wanted to know if the police officer bothered reading the law or had learnt the law."
When they arrived at the station about 10.09pm, she refused to exit the car until a senior officer arrived, then agreed to go to the room for evidential breath testing, but would not take the test without a lawyer. Her lawyer was called about 10.39pm, and arrived about 11.06pm, the breath testing beginning about six minutes later.
"She used her phone several times during the evidential breath test procedure, and the police officer conducting the procedure told her to put her phone away."
The document also said Allan "became argumentative and yelled" at police when she was served a court summons.
"She demanded to speak to senior police officers and Police National Headquarters and said that she would not leave the police station until the court summons 'disappeared'. Ms Allan told police officers that they were making 'undercutting moves' and that the charging decision was a 'political stunt'. She refused to accept the court summons document served on her."
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