Former NZ Idol judge Paul Ellis living in his car, guilty of drink driving at almost 7 times the limit

Paul Ellis in brighter days at a New Zealand music function. Photo / Norrie Montgomery

• Paul Ellis has pleaded guilty to driving with excess breath alcohol, nearly seven times the legal limit.
• He was also convicted of driving while disqualified after failing to apply for an interlock licence after his last conviction in Blenheim.
• Ellis has now been remanded on bail for sentencing in August.

Paul Ellis, a former prominent figure in the Kiwi music industry, is back in court on more driving charges, this time after being caught nearly seven times the legal alcohol limit.

Ellis pleaded guilty in the Nelson District Court today of driving with excess breath alcohol on a third or subsequent time after blowing 1688 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath. The legal limit is 250mcg.

He was also convicted of driving while disqualified.

According to a summary of facts, police tracked Ellis down on the morning of February 21 after investigating a report that someone had collided with a parked vehicle in the Nelson suburb of Tāhunanui.

Police followed a clear trail of vehicle fluid from the crash-damaged vehicle that led directly to the front passenger wheel of Ellis’ vehicle, which was parked on a nearby street.

Ellis, exhibiting signs that he had been drinking, admitted he was a disqualified driver.

An evidential breath test followed and showed a reading which was 6.7 times the limit.

Ellis told the police that he had been living in his car at Nelson’s Isel Park. He had been drinking wine but the crash was an “oversight” he had not been aware of.

It is not the 62-year-old’s first time before the courts.

In November 2023 he was convicted in the Blenheim District Court for driving while disqualified, fined $400 and given a six-month disqualification.

He was also granted leave to apply for an alcohol interlock licence at the time. But, police said he failed to do this, which meant that when he was caught in February this year, he was still driving as a disqualified driver.

Ellis was also convicted in the same court in June 2018 on two separate charges, 10 days apart of driving with excess blood alcohol.

He was convicted again in May 2022 on a charge of driving with excess breath alcohol for a third or subsequent time.

Ellis was born in Timaru but grew up in Picton, and moved back to the region in 2020 when he helped organise the Linkwater Summer Sounds Music Festivals.

He had a successful career in the music industry as a producer and manager and had worked with international music stars, including several from New Zealand.

Ellis was a Sony Music executive living in New York at the time of 9/11 and was a judge on the first two NZ Idol seasons, before appearing as a judge on New Zealand’s Got Talent in 2008.

Ellis was remanded on bail for sentencing in August. His earlier request for name suppression lapsed today.

Tracy Neal is a Nelson-based Open Justice reporter at NZME. She was previously RNZ’s regional reporter in Nelson-Marlborough and has covered general news, including court and local government for the Nelson Mail.