A Havelock woman was sent to jail yesterday for her eighth and ninth drink-driving-related convictions.
Deborah Ann Buchanan, 46, was sentenced to one year's jail for driving with excess breath alcohol, refusing to give a blood sample, refusing to accompany a police officer and driving with a sustained loss of traction.
Judge John Walker said Buchanan had seven previous convictions for driving with excess breath alcohol or refusing to give a blood sample.
Defence lawyer Kent Arnott said Buchanan accepted that she had a drinking problem, and she accepted responsibility for her actions.
Her car was off the road and she was no longer the owner, he said.
Buchanan's six weeks in custody awaiting sentencing had been a "time of reflection", he said. She had never been held in custody before.
Judge Walker said Buchanan created a lot of black smoke as she accelerated away from the police after being stopped on August 6.
On October 7, she was caught driving with 911 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath. The legal limit is 400mcg.
Buchanan attended an eight-week alcohol dependency programme in 2007, but Judge Walker said she did not seem to be taking the issue seriously, because the programme had not "made lasting changes".
Long history of offending
A Picton man with a "long dependency on alcohol" and a long history of driving offences was sentenced to one year in prison yesterday.
Ronald George Bain, 37, admitted dangerous driving, failing to stop in a non-injury accident and refusing to provide a blood sample – his seventh drink-driving-related conviction.
Bain was also indefinitely disqualified, and disqualified for six months for dangerous driving.
Other drink drivers:
Johnny Harvey Wiremu Baker, 19, of Blenheim, excess breath alcohol (eba) 620mcg, 100 hours' community work, indefinitely disqualified.
Joshua Martin Svensson, 20, meat inspector, of Blenheim, eba 985mcg, driving while disqualified, 80 hours' community work, 12 months' supervision, indefinitely disqualified, disqualified for six months for driving while disqualified.
The Marlborough Express
No comments:
Post a Comment