A Whangarei Black Power gang member who refuses to address his drinking problem has been sent to jail, and banned from driving indefinitely, after being caught driving over the legal alcohol limit twice in two days.
Tony Roy Taipari, 34, appeared for sentence in the Whangarei District Court yesterday after earlier
pleading guilty to two charges of driving with excess breath alcohol and two of disqualified driving.
Defence lawyer Kelly Johnson said Taipari had three earlier convictions for drink driving, with two more than 10 years ago and the other from February this year. Mr Johnson said Taipari deserved credit for his early guilty plea to the latest offences.
Taipari was stopped by police on June 13 this year and recorded an alcohol level of 826mcg of alcohol per litre of breath. The legal limit is 400mcg.
Taipari carried on drinking that day and was stopped by police again on June 14 and was found to have a breath alcohol level of 1043mcg.
Mr Johnson said Taipari accepted that prison was likely and just wanted to get the time done.
"He takes full responsibility for his actions. He is a member of Black Power but that has nothing to do with drinking and driving. He enjoys alcohol but that's not drinking and driving," Mr Johnson said.
"He is concerned about his repeat offending ... but he doesn't want to have any alcohol counselling."
Judge Thomas Everitt said until Taipari decided to do something about his alcohol problem he would return to court on such charges.
He said the June charges combined with the February conviction meant that Taipari would be disqualified for life from holding a driver's licence.
Judge Everitt also sentenced Taipari to one year in jail for the June offences and declined leave for him to apply for home detention.
