A MAGISTRATE has issued an arrest warrant for a man who failed to appear in court after he sideswiped a police car while more than three times over the limit.
Sendegeya Clavery, 49, was a no show in Newcastle Local Court on Thursday and was convicted in his absence of high range drink driving and failing to give particulars to another driver.
He was fined $750 and Magistrate Alan Railton issued a warrant to bring him to court to be sentenced.
Police say they were parked on Maitland Road at Mayfield about 10.45pm on March 26 when Clavery drove past and his vehicle sideswiped the unmarked police car.
Clavery failed to stop and kept driving along Maitland Road.
Police from the Newcastle City Proactive Crime Team stopped Clavery's vehicle on Woodstock Street a short time later and he returned a positive roadside breath test.
He was arrested and taken to Newcastle police station where he returned a reading of 0.167, which is more than three times over the legal blood alcohol limit.
His license was suspended on the spot and he was ordered to appear in court on Thursday.
But after he was giving ample time to appear in court on Thursday, he was convicted in his absence and a warrant was issued.
