Te Puke woman jailed for her 13th drink-driving conviction

A Te Puke woman who has clocked up her 13th conviction for drink-driving or driving while impaired and her eighth for driving while forbidden has been jailed for 25 months.

May Mirimae Heta, 54, was sentenced in the Tauranga District Court on Monday after she pleaded guilty to two charges of driving with excess breath alcohol and one of driving while suspended (third or subsequent offences).

Heta drove with a breath alcohol reading of 728mcg on October 9 last year and
just over three weeks later on November 3, she was caught again, this time with a reading of 573mcg.

The adult legal limit is 250mcg of alcohol per litre of breath.

On the second occasion, Heta was also driving while suspended.

Judge Thomas Ingram revealed Heta had 11 previous convictions for drink driving or driving while impaired, and seven for driving while disqualified.

Unless Heta seriously addressed her alcohol addiction she would continue to be an "ongoing danger to the public", the judge said.

Judge Ingram said just over two years' prison was better to ensure Heta got help she desperately needed and desired.

Judge Ingram said Heta would have to show the Parole Board she was genuinely motivated to turn her life around and urged her to talk to her sentence planner.

Heta was also disqualified from driving for 18 months.