Drink drive beekeeper banned

A late-night trip home had a sting in the tail for a Whangarei beekeeper - he's lost his licence after being caught driving while almost three times over the legal alcohol limit.

Brendon Scott THOMPSON, 25, appeared in Whangarei District Court for sentencing on a charge of driving with excess breath alcohol after he was stopped on State HIghway One, Waipu, at 11.32pm on April 21.

A breath test showed Thompson had a level of 1120mcg of alcohol per litre of breath, The legal limit is 400mcg.

He told police he had been drinking at a private residence before driving home.

Thompson was sentenced to 120 hours' community work, nine months' supervision and disqualified from driving for nine months.

Northland has some of the highest rates of drink-driving in the country 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:

Nicholas Simon TE PAA, 35, oyster worker, 926mcg, nine months' home detention, disqualified from driving for 18 months for sixth drink driving conviction.

Eugene GROBLER, 35, caregiver, 945mcg, $950 fine, disqualified from driving for seven months. Stephen Edgar CLEMENTS, 46, 654mcg, $650 fine, disqualified from driving for six months.

Jackson Phillip RAMEKA, 31, 735mcg, 100 hours' community work, 12 months' supervision, disqualified from driving for six months.

Dylan John ADAMS, 18, 550mcg, $550 fine, disqualified from driving for six months.

Henry Gordon HARRIS, 29, unemployed, 506mcg, 100 hours' community work, disqualified from driving for six months.

Matthew William Gordon KIRK, 23, unemployed, 215 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, $100 fine, $176 medical fees, disqualified from driving for eight months.

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 limit of between 0.00 and 0.03 will receive an infringement fee of $200 and 50 demerit points. Young drivers with a blood alcohol limit over that will continue to be subject to the same drink drive penalties as adults.