Drink-driver convicted for seventh time

A DRIVER who had already racked up six drink-driving convictions as well as 14 counts of driving while disqualified, has one more of each conviction to add to his total.
David Malcolm Buick, 33, unemployed, of Longbush, appeared in Masterton District Court yesterday before Judge Bruce Davidson, who convicted him of drink-driving for the seventh time, and also of driving while disqualified, bringing that total to 15.
He has also been charged with failing to stop and resisting police.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Greg Peters, told the court that back in June 1992 in the Tauranga District Court Buick had been disqualified from driving for six months beginning on July 1.
Mr Peters said that about three weeks later on July 27 he was again convicted of driving while disqualified and was banned from driving a further six months from that date.
Since then, he said Buick had appeared in both Masterton and Tauranga district courts 12 times for driving while disqualified, the latest in December 2002, and his current status is indefinite disqualification.
On the counts of drink-driving, his first conviction came in June 1992 in the Tauranga District Court and since then he had appeared in both Tauranga and Masterton courts five more times, the latest being December 2001 until he offended again last month..
Mr Peters said that on Sunday, March 7, Buick was riding his motorcycle without a helmet on Te Maire Road, near Featherston and was seen by police in a passing patrol car.
When Buick saw that the car had stopped he immediately accelerated away from police, who activated the red and blue lights and siren and chased him down the road. After about 800m Buick stopped, got off his bike and ran back along Te Maire Road until entering a stream. He crossed underneath the road through a ridge, running away and continuing to ignore police calls to stop.
The chase continued across farmland and criss-crossing the stream until eventually he was caught and, still resisting, was forcibly handcuffed.
He was breath tested and returned a result of 589 micrograms a litre of breath, well over the legal limit of 400.
He also admitted he was a disqualified driver and said he could not remember how much he had had to drink and told police he thought it was "worth a go" to run from them.
Judge Davison has called for a pre-sentence report plus a drug and alcohol assessment to be finished before Buick is back in court on May 11.