A Whangarei woman who admitted drinking six bottles of beer before driving was found to have almost three times the legal alcohol limit in her system.
Josie Haerengaroa Feleena TAKIMOANA-MAIHI, 27, appeared in Whangarei District Court for sentence on a charge of driving with excess breath alcohol for a third or subsequent time.
She was stopped by police while driving a Mazda van on Station Rd, Kamo at 1am on June 24. Takimoana-Maihi was stopped at a police compulsory breath testing check and a test showed a level of 1141 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath. The legal limit is 400mcg.
She admitted drinking five bottles of beer before driving and was sentenced to four months' community detention, 12 months' supervision, and disqualified from driving for 15 months for her third 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 people convicted of drink driving offences in the region. Also sentenced in Northland's courts recently were:
Carl James LANGRIDGE, 22, 476mcg, six months' community detention, 100 hours' community work, disqualified from driving for 12 months and one day for third drink driving conviction.
Akuhata Michael HITA, 24, 811mcg, six months' community detention, 12 months' supervision, disqualified from driving for 15 months for fourth drink driving conviction.
Aroha Kaye PUKEROA, 33, unemployed, 1039mcg, $1000 fine, disqualified from driving for seven months.
Dean Richard McGUINNESS, 55, unemployed, 609mcg, $550 fine, disqualified from driving for six months.
Neville Barry THOMSON, 49, driver, 746mcg, $550 fine, disqualified from driving for six months.
Matthew Douglas PRATT, 19, 223mcg, $250 fine, disqualified from driving for three months.
Anna Johanna PIENAAR, 27, unemployed, 504mcg, disqualified from driving for eight months.
Shea Dion MURRAY, 33, 926mcg, 120 hours' community work, disqualified from driving for seven months.
Patrick Shane Terry RATIMA, 27, 591mcg, three months' home detention, disqualified from driving for nine months.
Nadia LEHMANN, 39, 173 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, $850 fine, disqualified from driving for six months.
Legal 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 have the same drink drive penalties as adults.