Intoxicated Dunedin man charged with threatening neighbour and drink driving

An intoxicated Dunedin man allegedly threatened a neighbour and smashed their window before driving off with his children in the car.

Sergeant Matt Lee said Dunedin police were called to the suburb of Calton Hill after reports of a man having a “physical confrontation” with another man at a neighbouring address.

He had challenged the neighbour to a fight on Tuesday afternoon, but the neighbour did not rise to the bait.

After the confrontation, the man allegedly smashed a window at the neighbour’s house with a plank of wood.

The 38-year-old then drove away with his children in the vehicle, Lee said.

He was stopped by police near the address and underwent breath-testing procedures.

He recorded a breath alcohol level of 1008mcg, more than four times the legal limit of 250mcg.

The man had previously been stopped by police on December 31 at 12.35am in Bridgman Street for driving with no headlights on. During that stop, he returned a breath alcohol reading of 599mcg.

The man has now been charged with assault, willful damage, and two counts of driving with excess breath alcohol.

He was bailed and will appear in court at a later date.

Meanwhile, police were alerted to a vehicle having been taken from Wills Street, in Balaclava, at about 8pm on Tuesday.

Police located the vehicle and saw a woman driving the vehicle without its headlights on.

The vehicle was swerving over the road.

The 46-year-old woman was stopped and was breath-tested.

She recorded a breath alcohol level of 918mcg but elected to undergo a blood test.