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 level up to 0.03mg will incur an infringement fee of $200 and 50 demerit points. Young drivers with a blood-alcohol level over that will continue to be subject to the same drink-drive penalties as adults.
When Dargaville police came across a car stopped in the middle of the road late at night they discovered the driver was more than three times over the legal alcohol limit.
Colin Robert Morton JONES, 45, appeared in the Dargaville District Court for sentencing on a charge of driving with excess breath-alcohol for a third or subsequent time - his ninth drink-driving conviction.
The police summary of facts said the vehicle Jones was driving in Ranfurly St at 11.45pm on February 25 stopped suddenly in the middle of the road, alerting nearby police.
Officers had noticed that Jones exhibited signs of recent alcohol consumption and, after a positive breath test, he elected to provide a blood sample.
The test came back showing he had a level of 247 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 80mg.
Jones was sentenced to 18 months' jail and disqualified from driving for 12 months and one day from when he is released for his ninth 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:
Awhina Naomi RUAWHERO, 41, unemployed, 584 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath, 400 hours' community work, 12 months' supervision, disqualified from driving for 12 months and one day for third drink-driving conviction.
Reece Robert GUY, 46, 500mcg, 300 hours' community work, disqualified from driving for 14 months for fifth drink-driving conviction.
Wiremu Harry WAIKATO, 23, 480mcg, $400 fine, disqualified from driving for six months.
Mark Kenneth HANNAM, 47, 451mcg, $450 fine, disqualified from driving for six months.
Ian James LEAF, 24, 549mcg, $550 fine, disqualified from driving for six months.
Raewyn Leone PERKINSON, 26, 588mcg, 50 hours' community work, disqualified from driving for six months.
Darcie Desmond Benjamin EKETONE, 41, 579mcg, $500 fine, disqualified from driving for six months.
Johnathon Bryan CHRISTIE, 20, unemployed, 581mcg, $500 fine, disqualified from driving for six months.