Jail 'only option' for drink-driver

Prison was the only option for an Okaramio repeat offender, a judge decided in the Blenheim District Court this week.

Reading a pre-sentence report, Judge Pat Grace said offences by Leam Joseph Badcock, 24, driver, started on November 5 when he drove with excess breath alcohol (eba) of 582 micrograms per litre of breath, 182mcg above the legal limit.

While waiting to appear in court on that charge, he was caught driving on November 26 with eba of 914mcg.

He was convicted on both charges, and a pre-sentence report was ordered. Before that was finished, Badcock drove with eba of 921mcg on February 2.

That night, he failed to stop for a police checkpoint, ignored flashing patrol car lights, then abandoned his vehicle and hid in long grass. After being tracked down by police dogs, he assaulted a police officer, and there was a brief struggle before he was arrested.

"That indicates to me you have no intention of complying with the standards of justice expected of you in the community," Judge Grace told Badcock.

He rejected lawyer Philip Watson's suggestion that Badcock could do community detention on Arapawa Island, where an uncle could employ him.

Badcock's "to hell with authority" attitude had led to his spree of offending, and prison was the only suitable sentence, Judge Grace said.

For the November 5 offence, Badcock was convicted and sentenced to two months in prison and disqualified from driving for six months after his release. For the November 22 offence, he was convicted and sentenced to an extra three months in prison and disqualified for nine months, starting on August 15.

For the February 2 drink-driving offence, he was sentenced to two months, starting when the earlier terms end, and was indefinitely disqualified.

Noting that Badcock had been in custody since the February 2 offending, Judge Grace convicted and discharged him on charges of assaulting a police constable, failing to stop when requested, failing to stop for flashing lights and resisting police.

Alcohol problem

Jason Brent Wiblin, 39, would continue reappearing in court if he did not address his alcohol addiction, Judge Grace said when sentencing the Blenheim man on his fourth drink-driving charge, and for resisting police and using obscene language.

Wiblin admitted the charges. He had given an excess breath alcohol reading of 1012 micrograms per litre of breath on February 17.

He was sentenced to six months' community detention with a curfew, ordered to forfeit a hire purchase car, and indefinitely disqualified from driving. Wiblin was also placed on six months' intensive supervision with special conditions and a concurrent six months' supervision for resisting police.

On the language charge, he was convicted and discharged.

Other drink-drivers: Jordan Ray Sowman, 23, builder, eba 787mcg on February 13, fined $750, disqualified for six months.

Gilbert Victor Painter, 76, eba 632mcg on February 6, convicted and fined $600, disqualified for six months.

Too fast and too close

A Vanuatu man who crashed a van on State Highway 63 on February 22 admitted a charge of careless driving causing injury.

Paul Dick, who is in New Zealand on the recognised seasonal employer (RSE) scheme, was travelling too fast and too close to the vehicle in front, said police prosecutor Sergeant Steve Frost.

When the vehicle in front suddenly braked, Dick lost control of the van and it flipped on to its side and slid several hundred metres.

He and other RSE workers in the van were injured.

Dick was convicted and fined $600 and disqualified from driving for six months.

- The Marlborough Express