Rider was nearly four times over drink-drive limit

James Burke, 25, pleaded guilty to driving with excess breath alcohol third or subsequent.

A man riding his motorbike with the headlight off in the middle of the night was nearly four times over the legal alcohol limit.

James Wirihana Burke was nabbed on October 8 at 11.47pm when he was stopped by police, Judge David Cameron said in Whanganui District Court yesterday.

The bike had no lights on, and a breath test showed Burke had 941mcg of alcohol on his breath. The legal limit is 250mcg.

Burke, 25, pleaded guilty to driving with excess breath alcohol third or subsequent.

He has two previous drink-driving convictions.

Defence lawyer Anna Brosnahan said there was "no poor driving" in the incident aside from his lights being out.

Judge Cameron said Burke "has clearly got a problem with alcohol abuse and if that's not addressed there's a prospect of his offending escalating".

"Regrettably he appears to be a user of drugs as well, pointing again to the need for interventional programmes."

He sentenced Burke to six months of community detention with a 7pm-7am curfew. He also disqualified Burke from driving indefinitely, and ordered that when Burke was allowed to reapply for a licence, it be a zero-alcohol licence.