Drink driver in a hurry to collect benefit
A Far North man who crashed his car after drinking has been jailed for three months.
Andre George LAMBERT, 30, unemployed, appeared in Kaitaia District Court for sentencing on charges of driving with excess breath alcohol, careless driving and driving while prohibited.
Lambert was driving on State Highway 10, Coopers Beach, at 9.40pm on June 12 when he failed to negotiate a 90-degree turn and collided with a traffic island and several road signs.
Police arrived and as Lambert's speech was slurred and his eyes were glazed he was given a breath test. He admitted drinking earlier that night and told police he had gone to get his benefit as he was going out the next day and was in a hurry.
Lambert had a level of 471 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath and was sentenced to three months' jail and disqualified from driving for eight months.
Northland has some of the highest rates of drink-driving in the country, particularly repeat offenders, and the Northern Advocate is publishing its "name-and-shame" list of all people convicted of drink driving offences in the region.
Also sentenced in Northland's courts recently were:
Nardia Kathleen Jane RAWLINGS, 24, unemployed, 548mcg, 350 hours' community work, 12 months' supervision, disqualified from driving for 12 months and one day for her third drink driving conviction.
Henare ASHBY, 62, 810mcg, $850 fine, disqualified from driving for seven months.
Graeme Eric HOLT, 58, unemployed, 561mcg, $750 fine, disqualified from driving for seven months.
Richard Morgan GRAHAM, 58, 604mcg, $700 fine, disqualified from driving for six months.
Wihi STEVENSON, 55, 757mcg, $700 fine, disqualified from driving for six months.
Liquor limits: Aged 20 and above: 400mcg of alcohol per litre of breath; 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood. Under 20: Young drivers with a blood alcohol limit of between 0.00 and 0.03 will receive an infringement fee of $200 and 50 demerit points. Young drivers with a blood alcohol limit over that will continue to be subject to the same drink drive penalties as adults.
