Driver, 65, drunk again
A Far North man has been banned from driving for a year and sentenced to community detention for his fifth drink-driving conviction.
Wayne William POUTAI, 65, unemployed, appeared in Kaitaia District Court for sentencing on a charge of driving with excess breath alcohol for a third or subsequent time after he was stopped on Takahe Rd, Ahipara, at 9.40pm on December 2.
Poutai was stopped at a police roadside checkpoint and a test showed he had a level of 655 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath. The legal limit is 400mcg.
He was sentenced to six months' community detention, 12 months' supervision, and disqualified from driving for 12 months and one day for his fifth drink-driving conviction.
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:
Edwin Andrew POU, 31, unemployed, 658mcg, 50 hours' community work, six months' supervision, and also disqualified from driving for six months.
Anthony William DUNN, 32, 643mcg, $700 fine, disqualified from driving for seven months.
Karna Leslie MURRAY, 50, paua farmer, 736mcg, $650 fine, disqualified from driving for six months.
Neville Raymond PEARSON, 53, 545mcg, $500 fine, disqualified from driving for six months.
Hohepa Hunia Hapakuku TATANA, 25, 656mcg, 65 hours' community work, disqualified from driving for six months.
Jordan Dean FRANKLIN, 20, 645mcg, $600 fine, disqualified from driving for six months.
Matthew Luke TURNER, 23, 144 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, $650 fine, disqualified from driving for six months.
Isobel Zena TOWNSEND, 60, 107mg, $450 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.
