Drink-driving Rotorua mum with young kids in car given home detention

The Rotorua Courthouse. Photo / NZME

A Rotorua mother with eight convictions for drink driving got behind the wheel "grossly intoxicated" with her two children in the car.

But she won't be going to prison. Instead, she has been sentenced to six months' home detention so she can continue with a live-in rehabilitation programme.

The woman, who can't be named to protect the identities of her children, appeared via audio visual link in the Rotorua District Court yesterday for sentencing before Judge Greg Hollister-Jones.

The woman previously pleaded guilty to driving with excess breath alcohol third or subsequent (which means she has more than three previous convictions), driving while disqualified, driving in a dangerous manner, failing to answer police bail and two counts of ill treating/ neglecting children.

The youngsters were aged under 6 when they were found unrestrained in the woman's car.

Judge Hollister-Jones said the woman was grossly intoxicated and was driving in a way that put the children and members of the public in significant danger.

"It's extremely fortunate there was not a serious collision involving serious injury or worse."

She had a previous conviction in 2018 for neglect, eight previous convictions for drink driving and four previous convictions for careless driving.

Judge Hollister-Jones noted she had previous instances of breaching bail and said her compliance history was "shaky".

However, with convincing from her lawyer, Rachael Cavanagh, Judge Hollister-Jones agreed to a sentence of home detention at a rehabilitation facility.

Cavanagh said the woman had made good progress since being a resident at the facility since September and was keen to reintegrate into the community once she was released to put into practice what she had learned.

Judge Hollister-Jones said it was clear the woman had an alcohol addiction and made poor choices with males in her life. Those factors together meant she had been unable to parent in a safe way and had ongoing issues with employment and compliance with the law.

"Whether you can fully rehabilitate is finely balanced."