Drink driver over limit by 1mg gets $600 fine

Pressured by friends to drive after drinking Levi Whana Guildford was slightly over the legal limit when he got behind the wheel of a vehicle to drive from Wellington to Napier.

The 21-year-old of Napier was one milligram above the legal limit to drive.

Before Judge Barbara Morris in Masterton District Court on Thursday, Guildford pleaded guilty to a charge of drink-driving.

His defence lawyer Michael McAleer told the court his client had made a mistake in the early of hours of Sunday, June 8 when he was talked into driving friends from Wellington to Napier after they had been drinking.

Guildford was stopped by police on High St, Carterton, just before 3am and blew an alcohol reading of 440mcg per litre of breath.

"He wasn't over by much but still miscalculated," his lawyer told the court.

Prosecutor Sergeant Garry Wilson said following the positive reading Guildford exercised his right to a blood test.

This resulted in a blood alcohol reading of 81mg of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.

The legal limit for an adult driver is 80mg.

Judge Morris said Guildford had a previous drink-driving conviction when he was found to be nearly double the legal limit.

She said it had been a "lack of fine judgement" by Guildford to drive this time as he was "just over the limit" but she warned him about the consequences of a third drink-driving conviction.

"Make sure you are not back before the court."

Judge Morris fined Guildford $600 and $130 court costs. He was disqualified from driving for six months and ordered not to have any interest in a vehicle during his disqualification period.