Third drink-drive offence brings ban

A Whangarei woman who was almost three times over the legal alcohol limit has been given community work and banned from driving for her third drink-driving conviction.

Lorraine COUTTS, 44, appeared in Whangarei District Court for sentencing after being stopped by police on Maire St, Whangarei, at 11pm on October 7.

A breath test showed that Coutts had a level of 1160 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath, almost three times the 400mcg limit.

When spoken to by police, she admitted drinking two glasses of home brew beer before driving.

Coutts was sentenced to 100 hours' community work, 12 months' supervision and disqualified from driving for 12 months and one day for her third drink-driving conviction.

Northland has some of the highest rates of drink-driving in the country, particularly repeat offenders, 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:

George MARRINER, 55, 764mcg, six months' community detention, disqualified from driving for 12 months and one day for fourth drink-driving conviction.

Jamaine HALL, 28, 489mcg, $490 fine, disqualified from driving for six months.

Clevedon JOHNSTONE, 39, 661mcg, $800 fine, disqualified from driving for six months.

Charlotte Raewyn Jane WILKIE, 36, 559mcg, $560 fine, disqualified from driving for six months.

Carla May PAUL, 19, 327mcg, $250 fine, disqualified from driving for three months.

Justin Harding FRIEDRICH, 22, 532mcg, $530 fine, disqualified from driving for six months.

Levi NICHOLSON, 19, unemployed, 479mcg, four months' community detention, 100 hours' community work, 12 months' supervision, disqualified from driving for nine months.

Mark Jeremy BEATSON, 61, 701mcg, $700 fine, disqualified from driving for six months.

Christine Patricia GILMOUR, 32, 624mcg, $600 fine, disqualified from driving for six months.

Claire WINDUST, 66, 112 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, $500 fine.

Nikita James KNEEBONE, 20, 157mg, 80 hours' community work, disqualified from driving for six months.

Wiremu Taniora TE IRINGA, 20, 60mg, $300 fine, disqualified from driving for three 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.