Bay of Plenty Times
  • Bay of Plenty Times home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport

Locations

  • Coromandel & Hauraki
  • Katikati
  • Tauranga
  • Mount Maunganui
  • Pāpāmoa
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Bay of Plenty Times

Recidivist drink-driver off to jail

By Sandra Conchie
Bay of Plenty Times·
29 Apr, 2013 08:14 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

A judge sentenced a prolific lawbreaker to 21 months' jail after he clocked up his 14th conviction for drink-driving and 13th conviction for driving while disqualified.

Greerton superannuitant Steven Lindsay Rennie, 65, has also been indefinitely disqualified for a minimum of one year and one day when sentenced in Tauranga District Court yesterday.

Last month Rennie pleaded guilty to charges of driving with an excess breath alcohol, driving while disqualified (3rd or subsequent offence) and giving false details to police.

Rennie was caught driving with an excess breath alcohol of 584 micrograms in Paeroa on November 27, 2011 after being stopped at a checkpoint - the adult legal limit is 400 mcgs.

But Rennie gave the police officer a false name, date of birth and address.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

When his true identity was established Rennie was sent a summons to come to court to face charges but he failed to do so and he was arrested and refused bail last month.

Rennie's lawyer Whare Hika urged Judge Peter Rollo to keep the jail sentence as short as possible, as he was on a waiting list for surgery on his arm and nose. Mr Hika said his client was remorseful and accepted prison release conditions requiring him to undergo counselling.

Judge Rollo told Rennie his continued flouting of the law was serious. "While there was not driver's fault involved in these offences, your prior convictions history is significant and a serious aggravating factor."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Judge Rollo also noted that the pre-sentence report revealed Rennie had tried to minimise his offending during the "difficult and truncated" interview he had with the report writer.

The judge said Rennie had initially claimed he was unaware he was still disqualified from his last two drink-driving convictions in 2009 for which he was sentenced 18 months' prison as well as being indefinitely disqualified.

Rennie had then later stated he thought he would "get away with it" - that is, lying to police.

Judge Rollo said: "Your attitude Mr Rennie to your legal and social responsibilities is appalling.

"I take the view that you are truly a recidivist drink driver and driver while disqualified, and a prison sentence of 21 months is the appropriate outcome to met the necessary sentencing principles of denunciation and deterrents."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty TimesUpdated

Substation fault cuts power to thousands in Tauranga

11 Jul 03:01 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

Theatre stalwart's triumphant return after PTSD recovery

11 Jul 02:00 AM
Bay of Plenty Times

'Moments are priceless': Silver Ferns stars reunite for TV reality show

11 Jul 12:00 AM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Bay of Plenty Times

Substation fault cuts power to thousands in Tauranga

Substation fault cuts power to thousands in Tauranga

11 Jul 03:01 AM

Power was cut to 21,529 customers at 12.30pm in Tauranga.

Theatre stalwart's triumphant return after PTSD recovery

Theatre stalwart's triumphant return after PTSD recovery

11 Jul 02:00 AM
'Moments are priceless': Silver Ferns stars reunite for TV reality show

'Moments are priceless': Silver Ferns stars reunite for TV reality show

11 Jul 12:00 AM
Home-schooled students ride 755km to Parliament for equal sports access

Home-schooled students ride 755km to Parliament for equal sports access

10 Jul 11:07 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Bay of Plenty Times e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Bay of Plenty Times
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP