No plea by officer charged with drink-driving

A Taranaki police officer charged with drink-driving was remanded for two weeks after he appeared in New Plymouth District Court this morning.

Jonathan Erwood, a sole charge policeman at the remote settlement of Mokau, northeast of New Plymouth, failed a breath-test when he attended a double fatality in Taranaki on July 9.

He was asked by another policeman at the crash scene to take the test when the officer suspected he had been drinking. Erwood later elected to take a blood test.

A court spokeswoman said no plea was entered.

Erwood is scheduled to re-appear on August 17.

While not condoning drink-driving, the Police Association and members of Erwood's community have supported the officer, saying the situation was an emergency which required his attendance, despite him being off duty at the time.

- NZPA