A man who almost hit with a police car while out past the curfew on New Year’s Day was yesterday fined $1,500.

Darico Clarke, 29, pleaded guilty in Magistrates’ Court to a breach of the earlier 11pm to 5am curfew.

The court heard that police were driving on Chapel Road in Paget around 11.35pm on January 1 when Clarke, who was driving a car in the opposite direction, veered across the centre line lane and almost hit the police vehicle.

Clarke was pulled over and told officers when questioned: “I am on my way home now, I was just coming back from my girl’s house”.

Bruce Swan, for the defence, said that his client had an exemption letter and thought that it allowed him to be out past curfew on non-work related trips.

Senior magistrate Juan Wolffe fined Clarke, from Pembroke, $1,500 but gave him until September 18 to pay.

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