Work bans for liquor managers caught drink-driving

Two women normally responsible for managing the public’s alcohol consumption have been banned from doing so for a month after each being caught drink-driving.

Summah Preston and Linear Emma Burkhardt were judged not fit to hold their liquor manager’s certificate and were suspended from doing so for 28 days by the Alcohol Regulatory and Licensing Authority (ARLA), which heard police applications against them in December.

ARLA’s decisions in each of the unrelated cases were recently released online.

Neither of the women disputed the police’s argument to have them suspended under a provision in the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012.

Burkhardt was charged with driving with an excess breath-alcohol reading of

468 micrograms on Saturday, April 15, last year.

She pleaded guilty in Gisborne District Court on August 23 and was discharged without conviction.

The subsequent police application was decided by ARLA in mid-December.

Her manager’s licence was suspended for a period including and between January 20 and February 16 this year.

Summah Preston returned a breath-alcohol reading of 588mcg when she was stopped by police on Saturday, April 8, last year.

She also appeared in the Gisborne court last August and was convicted, fined and sentenced to 80 hours community work.

Her manager’s licence was suspended for the period including and between January 13 and February 9 this year.