Homebrew, speed sparks road crash

Harley-Rae Gannaway, 59, pleaded guilty to drink-driving and careless driving and was fined, ordered to pay reparation and disqualified from driving.

After drinking five glasses of home-brew whisky Harley-Rae Gannaway drove at speed, lost control of his car and ploughed through a farmer's fence.

The 59-year-old, who pleaded guilty to drink-driving and careless driving, was fined, ordered to pay reparation to the farmer and disqualified from driving when he appeared before Judge Stephen Harrop in the Masterton District Court recently.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Jodie Lawrence said that on September 14, just after midnight, Gannaway left a Chester Rd, Carterton, property after drinking the home-brew whisky and headed east along the road at speed, crashing through a fence and coming to rest in a paddock.

The road was a rural road with no street lighting and a speed limit of 100km/h, she said.

"He was travelling at approximately 120km/h around a corner when he lost control of the vehicle and drove through a farm fence."

When breath tested, Gannaway had returned a reading of 550 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath. The legal limit is 400mcg.

Mrs Lawrence requested the court order reparation from Gannaway of $1832.10 for the damaged fence.

Gannaway's car was written off in the crash.

Defence lawyer Ian Hard said the alcohol reading was very high and asked the court to give his client full credit for an early guilty plea. "He had been at a friend's house drinking. It was an error of judgment," he said.

Judge Harrop said when people drank and drove they took serious risks with their own and other people's lives.

"This is a serious example of what can happen when you drink and drive. Fortunately you were not injured or anyone else. There is a risk that can happen."

He said Gannaway had "effectively been penalised" already with the loss of his car worth $2500.

He warned Gannaway about any future convictions for drink-driving. "The courts will take a dim view if you come back."

Gannaway was fined $500 plus $130 court costs, was disqualified from driving for nine months and ordered to pay reparation of $1832.10 at $30 a week.