Hall, 51, was sentenced today in the Nelson District Court to six months home detention and disqualified from driving for the mandatory 28 days to allow for an interlock device to be fitted to his car, followed by a zero alcohol licence for three years.
The solo father had just collected his child from school in Motueka in July this year when he was caught driving at 71 kilometres an hour in a 50 km/h area.
After he was stopped by police, who also suspected he had been drinking, a subsequent breath alcohol test gave a reading of 965 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath - almost four times the legal limit for drivers aged over 20.
Hall now has seven convictions for driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs, the court heard when he admitted the charges at an appearance in August.
Hall told the police he had just picked up his daughter from school and was driving home.
Dollimore said Hall had been the sole caregiver to his child since 2020, and the night before the incident had “gone on a bender” after receiving distressing news from family in the North Island.
The court heard in August how Hall’s history of driving while impaired dated from 1997 to the most recent before now in 2021.
He was granted permission to drive until today’s sentencing on zero alcohol, and to submit to testing as required.
Dollimore said Hall knew he had “mucked up” in July, especially after the gains he had made to get his life on track, stay in work and get off a benefit.
His employer was aware of what had happened and stood by him by offering to keep him on, Dollimore said.
Judge David Ruth said in sentencing Hall that his high alcohol reading was made worse by the fact he had now accumulated seven such convictions.
“All the levels have been high, yet here you are again with another high reading while driving when you should not have been.”
Judge Ruth said various reports pointed to Hall’s history of drinking while a fuller report from addiction services highlighted how it had started when he was 14 or 15, when Hall would drink a dozen bottles of beer and half a bottle of spirits four to five nights a week.
Hall had stopped at one stage but reverted to alcohol when “things got on top of him”.
“I accept you have suffered loss, and that may well be the trigger,” Judge Ruth said.
He noted the steps Halls had taken to help himself, but he had to take into account the danger in which he had put his daughter and others.
From a starting point of 15 months in prison, Hall was given credit for his guilty plea and efforts to rehabilitate, which reduced his sentence to six months of home detention with standard and special conditions including that he attend assessment for alcohol misuse, and any counselling as required.
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.
