A Tauranga man has lost his bid to appeal his conviction and 21-month jail sentence after he clocked up his 14th conviction for drink-driving and 13th for driving while disqualified.
In the High Court at Rotorua yesterday, Justice Mark Cooper ruled that the appeal lodged by superannuitant Steven Lindsay Rennie, 65, could not proceed as it was laid out of time.
In March 2013, Rennie pleaded guilty to charges of driving with excess breath alcohol and driving while disqualified (both third or subsequent offences) and giving false details to police.
The charges stemmed from his being caught drink-driving in Paeroa on November 27, 2011, after being stopped at a checkpoint, and also giving a false name, date of birth and address.
As well as his jail term, Rennie was further disqualified from driving for a year and a day when he was sentenced by Judge Peter Rollo in Tauranga District Court on April 29 last year.