A Methven woman was caught five times over the limit after picking up her daughter from school.
Nicole Marie Quilter, 42, appeared in the Ashburton District Court this week.
She was stopped by police on Main Street in Methven on March 30 after picking her six-year-old daughter up from school.
She blew 1529 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath in a breath test.
Duty lawyer Tiffany McRae said Quilter’s daughter had not been well.
Quilter was sleep-deprived and had not eaten for several days beforehand and was “mortified by what happened”.
She had also taken steps to deal with issues, which included a fractious relationship with her child’s father, McRae said.
Community magistrate Sally O’Brien said the principal of the primary school had seen Quilter collect her daughter from school while apparently under the influence of alcohol.
Quilter was stopped by police and found to be over the legal limit.
O’Brien said she would impose an alcohol interlock sentence.
Quilter was fined $700, plus court costs of $130, and disqualified from driving for 28 days.
After the disqualification period, Quilter could have an interlock device fitted to her car and apply for an interlock licence.
O’Brien said Quilter would be on the interlock licence for a year. After that, she could apply for a zero alcohol licence for the following three years.
Quilter was also given a six-month supervision sentence, with conditions to undergo an alcohol and drug assessment and any programmes and counselling recommended by her probation officer.

Interlock sentence

A 23-year-old Netherby man was caught drink driving after a basketball championship.
Maracario Bron Bravo admitted a charge of drink driving on Alford Forest Road on March 26.
He was seen weaving across the road and blew 684mcg in a breath test.
Police prosecutor Sergeant Stuart Whyte said Bravo told police he had consumed two large Red Horse beers. He also had a previous drink driving conviction from April 2018.
Duty lawyer Clare Yardley said Bravo had played in a basketball championship, and drove home when he should not have.
O’Brien said the disturbing factor was that it was Bravo’s second drink-driving conviction in under five years.
“It’s a very big concern because you are so young,” she said.
Bravo was disqualified from driving for 28 days and sentenced to a 12-month interlock sentence, after which he could drive on a zero-alcohol licence for a minimum of three years.
He was also fined $500 and ordered to pay court costs.

Zero-alcohol licence

An Ashburton man will need to apply for a zero-alcohol licence after being caught drink driving following a rugby away game.
Ratu-Itu Uriao, 31, blew 809mcg when stopped by police on Moore Street on May 7.
Duty lawyer Paul Bradford said Uriao had gone by coach to Christchurch to play rugby with his team and decided to drive the short trip home once they got back to Ashburton.
Uriao was fined $700 plus court costs and disqualified from driving for seven months.

First mistake in 71 years

A Rakaia man told police he was “not that pissed” after drinking six handles of beer and getting behind the wheel.
Bryan William Murphy, 71, appeared in court this week on a charge of drink driving.
Duty lawyer Paul Bradford said this was Murphy’s first mistake in 71 years.
O’Brien said Murphy was stopped by police on Bowen Street in Rakaia on April 21. He blew 600mcg.
Murphy told police he’d had six handles of beer and was “not that pissed”.
O’Brien said that was “too much alcohol to be behind the wheel”.
Murphy was convicted, fined $500 plus court costs, and disqualified from driving for six months.

Visitor fined, disqualified

An Irishman on a working holiday visa was disqualified from driving on a drink driving charge.
Cian Murphy, 20, who lives and works rurally near Methven, was stopped on Main Street in Methven on April 30 after he took a corner at speed.
He blew 689mcg in a breath test.
O’Brien said Murphy made the stupid decision to drive home to sleep in his own bed after having drinks at a friend’s home.
He was convicted, fined $500 plus court costs, and disqualified from driving for six months.

Work function woes

An Allenton woman was caught drink driving to work the morning after a work function.
Sarah Lorraine Butler, 38, was stopped by police on Charles Street on September 10, 2022, after a complaint about her driving.
She opted for a blood test which found she had 122 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood.
Duty lawyer Tiffany McRae said Butler worked as a store manager in Ashburton. She was driving to Ashburton to open the store after a work function in Christchurch the night before.
McRae said it was Butler’s first drink-driving offence.
Butler was disqualified from driving for six months, fined $500 plus court costs of $130, and ordered to pay $249.69 for the cost of the blood analysis.

Fine for speeding

A Hampstead man was clocked travelling 112kmh in a 50kmh zone after thinking his child had gone missing.
MJ Talafua Fuao, 28, was stopped for speeding on Bridge Street on November 26 last year.
Duty lawyer Paul Bradford said Fuao had just received a call from his partner to say their three-year-old child had gone missing and he “was not thinking right at the time”.
Bradford said the child was later found.
Fuao was fined $80 for speeding.
O’Brien said there would be no further penalty, but there would be demerits.

Togs drop-off ends
in driving charge

A trip from Mitcham to Ashburton on April 28 to drop her daughter’s togs off at school has landed a disqualified driver with another charge.
Atiria Trevor, 28, admitted driving while disqualified. She had been disqualified on an earlier drink driving conviction.
Duty lawyer Clare Yardley said Trevor lived rurally and a further disqualification would create hardship for the family, especially Trevor’s two young children.
Trevor was convicted and remanded for sentencing on July 18 to give her time to complete a defensive driving course.
O’Brien said Trevor would be given a community work sentence, rather than disqualification, if she completed the course.

Warrants issued

Warrants for arrest were issued for two Rakaia men who failed to appear in the Ashburton District Court on Wednesday.
Ross Dylen Hunt, 36, faces two fuel theft charges, two driving while forbidden charges and a charge of providing police with false details.
Kyle Richard Wilson, 48, is charged with stealing four meat packs from New World Ashburton. His warrant will lie with the court until May 29 when he is due to appear on other charges.

Cases remanded

A young Hampstead man who was too scared to call his parents for a lift home from a party has admitted drink driving.
Sala Tielu Iakopo, 19, was stopped by police for speeding on Chalmers Avenue on April 8 and blew 308mcg in a breath test. The legal limit for drivers under 20 is zero.
McRae said Iakopo had intended to arrange a ride home but failed to make plans.
He was too scared to call his parents for a lift because they would not approve of his drinking, she said.
Iakopo, who has a restricted licence, was remanded to July 18 to give him time to get a full licence and a possible discharge without conviction.
Christmas Day charge
Robinson Fernando Carrillo-Alvarez, 36, admitted charges of drink driving and careless driving on the Hinds Highway on December 25, 2022.
A blood test showed he had 158mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood.
Carrillo-Alvarez’s lawyer Joanna Lorigan-Innes said Carrillo-Alvarez was injured and taken to hospital. She asked for the case to be remanded to allow her to apply for a discharge without conviction.
Carrillo-Alvarez will appear again on July 18.

Police yard visit

A Methven man admitted charges of disorderly behaviour and being in the Methven police yard without good cause on February 2.
The court was told that Callum Graham, 24, had an earlier sentence on a careless driving charge and was not reporting to probation.
Graham was convicted and remanded on bail to allow for a pre-sentence report. Graham’s bail conditions include to reside at his Methven address and not to consume alcohol.
O’Brien also ordered a restorative justice conference between Graham and Methven police to see if they could build a better relationship.
Graham will appear again on July 18.

Sustained loss of traction

An Ashburton man who admitted a charge of sustained loss of traction causing some damage to grass at the Tinwald Domain was remanded for sentencing on July 18.
Jamie Allen Reid, 19, pleaded guilty to the incident on November 23 last year, after an amendment to the summary of facts.
Duty lawyer Tiffany McRae said Reid denied doing donuts but accepted he did “a skid of sorts”. She asked the magistrate to consider a community-based sentence.
Reid worked as an arborist and had recently been disqualified for three months and had to rely on friends and workmates.
His work was waiting for him to get his licence back to become a more flexible and useful member of the team, McRae said.
O’Brien said Reid would need to get his licence reinstated and pay $500 reparation toward the repair of the domain before his next appearance. If that is done a sentence of community work would be imposed.
“Any further offending will put this in jeopardy,” the magistrate warned.

Driving offences

Teremoana Teara Vaevae, 23, admitted charges of careless driving causing injury and driving while forbidden on Moore Street on March 15.
McRae said Vaevae had already written a letter of apology to the victim and offered to pay $400 in emotional harm reparation.
O’Brien convicted Vaevae and remanded her for sentencing on July 18 to allow for a reparation report and a restorative justice meeting.

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Nicole Chera Lee Donald, 32, admitted driving while disqualified on Nelson Street in Ashburton on January 18.
Her case was remanded to July 18 to give her time to get her full licence.
O’Brien said if Donald had her licence and community work or another community-based sentence would be imposed.

By Sharon Davis