Should Mallard be asking for a discharge?

Stuff reports:

Labour MP Trevor Mallard has asked the court to allow an illegal racer to escape conviction for lying to police.

The man, 24, was caught, and has been convicted, after illegally racing another car at speeds of up to 210kmh on State Highway 2, Lower Hutt, in September.

When police caught up with him later, he allegedly lied, telling them someone must have stolen his car.

So he drove at double the maximum speed limit and lied to the Police.

At the man’s sentencing on the racing charge, Judge Tuohy said he had previously been disqualified from driving for similar offending in 2009.

So not his first time. You give some leeway to being a stupid teenager when you are 17, but he’s 24 now and still doing it.

In the letter, Mallard urged the court to suspend the man’s conviction for lying to the police.

“This is a young man with tremendous potential and my request is that his years place of study not be negated by a conviction on the fake statement charge.” …

The false statement charge has been remanded for sentencing later this month, when the man’s lawyer will argue he should be given a discharge without conviction, using Mallard’s letter to support his case.

I’d be more sympathetic if he was younger and a first time offender. But it is hard to see why one would think he is going to change his ways, if he gets a discharge.