A teenager who flipped a car while with three passengers on board was yesterday fined $1,500 after he admitted drink driving.

Kirk Stapff, 19, pleaded guilty in Magistrates’ Court to having care and control of a vehicle while impaired.

The court heard that police were called to a single-vehicle traffic accident on St John’s Road in Pembroke in the early hours of November 7.

Officers found a car on its left side and were told by three people, who later identified themselves as passengers in the car, that the vehicle had veered off-road and flipped over when it hit a palm tree.

Stapff later returned to the car and identified himself as the driver of the car.

He told police that he left the scene of the collision because he was “really shaken up”.

He also admitted drinking earlier and was arrested on suspicion of drink driving.

Officers asked Stapff to take a breath test but he refused and instead asked to give a sample of blood.

He said: “I should have the option of giving blood samples if I want to.”

Police asked if there was a medical reason for insistence on a blood test and Stapff admitted he had no medical problems.

Officers told Stapff that he did not have an option and that it was an offence to refuse to take the test.

Stapff again refused to offer a breath sample and was charged with having care and control of a vehicle while impaired and refusal to take a breath test.

Prosecutors withdrew the breath test charge after Stapff admitted the drink driving offence.

Magistrate Maxanne Anderson ordered Stapff, from Pembroke, to pay the fine by the end of the day and banned him from the roads for 18 months.

Stapff asked for more time to pay.

But Ms Anderson said “that was a very serious offence – you’re going to have to pay that today”.

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