Drunk driver twice rammed parked car in neighbour's driveway in front of police officer

Police had to pepper spray a drunk driver after he slammed into the rear of a car parked in a driveway and then tried to drive off. Photo / 123RF

Martin Ruhe was more than four times the legal limit when he left hospital in his car and drove to where he'd been told police were attending an incident near his home.

"It was a terrible decision to drive," his lawyer Ian Miller said. "It was lucky no one was injured."

Ruhe repeatedly slammed into the rear of a car parked in a neighbour's driveway as he raced home to check what was happening that day.

The 53-year-old disqualified driver, now on his fourth drink-drive offence, was today sentenced to three months' community detention, 12 months' supervision and an alcohol interlock order, with a warning of the consequences if he didn't comply.

"Thank you, your honour," he said as he left the Nelson District Court today.

He had earlier admitted charges of reckless driving, driving while disqualified and driving with excess breath alcohol for a third or subsequent time.

A driver who was four times the legal alcohol limit has been sentenced on his fourth drink-drive offence. Photo /123RF

In July this year, Ruhe had been at hospital with his partner when he received notification that police were attending an incident with a neighbour.

The police prosecutor told the court there had been ongoing tensions between both addresses.

Ruhe arrived, pulled into the neighbour's driveway, and drove into the back of a vehicle parked there.

He rammed it forward, narrowly missing a police officer and the home's occupant, who was standing in front of the vehicle.

Ruhe then reversed, stopped and drove forward again, ramming the vehicle a second time.

He then backed out onto the road, revving his engine, stopping and starting while yelling abuse at the neighbour.

Police eventually had to use pepper spray to stop him. He was breath-tested and found with 1047 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath.

The limit for drivers aged 20 years and over is 250mcg of alcohol per litre of breath.

While Ruhe's driving didn't damage the parked vehicle, as he hit the rear tyre attached to the back of it, he did damage his own car.

He told police he'd been at the hospital when he got a "distress call" from a family member.

He claimed not to have seen the police on the property and was worried about his daughters at home.

Judge David Ruth said it was important that Ruhe got help, as his family would not want him incarcerated if he continued on the path he was on.

Judge Ruth said under the circumstances, Ruhe's car would have been confiscated but that would defeat what the court was trying to do, in ensuring he remained in work so he could support his family.

He imposed a curfew alongside the community detention sentence and disqualified Ruhe from driving for the mandatory 28 days prior to the interlock device being fitted.

Judge Ruth warned Ruhe that failure to comply with the interlock order, and the zero alcohol licence that would follow, could lead to indefinite disqualification.