Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

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

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

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

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

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 / Northern Advocate

Jail term for drink-driver

Northern Advocate
16 Sep, 2012 10:48 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

Kevin Snedden was out on bail for drink driving when he was again caught drunk behind the wheel - this time more than twice over the legal alcohol limit.

The 46-year-old left the Whangarei District Court with no alternative but to send him to jail for his eighth and ninth drink driving charges.

He blew 728 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath on April 28 when stopped by police on State Highway 1. While out on bail, Snedden was spotted driving on SH1 in Hikurangi at 10.30am on July 14.

Officers in a patrol car observed the car he was driving drifting towards the centre line and as he pulled left, Snedden almost lost control.

He blew 880mcg - more than twice the legal limit of 400mcg for those over 20.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

His lawyer, John Day, said home detention would have been a likely option if Snedden had not re-offended while on bail and there was no driving fault.

He needed treatment for alcohol difficulties and tendered a letter in court from a prospective employer.

Mr Day said his client pleaded guilty early and was extremely remorseful.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Judge John McDonald said Sneddon was an idiot if he did not know that driving while grossly intoxicated was highly dangerous.

Driving was not a right but a privilege in New Zealand and people must pass a strict test in order to get behind the wheel, he said.

Judge McDonald said Northland had the highest number of drink drivers in the country, with repeat offenders the greatest danger to other road users.

He said a condition of Snedden's bail from his offending on April 28 was not to drive after drinking at all.

Snedden was sentenced to 20 months in jail and disqualified from holding or obtaining a driver's licence for two years for his eighth and ninth drink driving convictions.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

256-year-old anchor found after 43 years, confirming historic discovery

Northern Advocate

'Will it take someone to die?': 85yo's fears after home demolished by airborne car

Northern Advocate

'Economic growth is key': Luxon discusses Northland's potential with iwi


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

256-year-old anchor found after 43 years, confirming historic discovery
Northern Advocate

256-year-old anchor found after 43 years, confirming historic discovery

The 256-year-old anchor was rediscovered after vanishing for 43 years.

17 Jul 09:02 PM
'Will it take someone to die?': 85yo's fears after home demolished by airborne car
Northern Advocate

'Will it take someone to die?': 85yo's fears after home demolished by airborne car

17 Jul 05:00 PM
'Economic growth is key': Luxon discusses Northland's potential with iwi
Northern Advocate

'Economic growth is key': Luxon discusses Northland's potential with iwi

17 Jul 06:02 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
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
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • 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
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP