Impaired driver fought with police

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A high-speed chase through Hamilton and subsequent fight with officers resulted in fines for a Devonshire man.

Craig Burchall, 22, pleaded guilty at Magistrates’ Court to charges of driving while impaired and violently resisting arrest following an incident on Saturday.

Crown counsel Maria Sofianos told Magistrates’ Court that at 3.18am, officers on duty on Front Street saw Burchall riding his bike west at high speed.

The officers noticed that he was not wearing a helmet and the vehicle’s lights were off.

The officers followed Burchall and signalled for him to pull over, but he accelerated instead.

During the subsequent chase, Burchall drove through multiple red lights at speeds as high as 120kph and swerved towards police vehicles attempting to pull him over, forcing them to take evasive action.

Burchall eventually lost control of the vehicle on Union Street, falling to the pavement, but he then got up and attempted to run from the officers.

The officers eventually followed Burchall to a dead end, at which point Burchall began to push and punch at the officers attempting to arrest him.

After being subdued, Burchall told the officers: “I’m sorry for making you work extra hard tonight.”

Senior Magistrate Archibald Warner fined Burchall $800 for each offence, and banned him from driving all vehicles for a period of one year.

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