Drink-driver ‘extremely annoyed’ with himself

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

A man with a history of drink-driving offences, albeit historical, was sentenced in Gisborne District Court to two months of community detention with supervision for six months, for a driving offence this year.

Daniel James Hill, 68, shearer, had four previous convictions when he was pulled over on Wharerata Road on February 3 this year for speeding. He gave a blood reading of 114mcg/l, when the limit is 80.

The court was told that on February 3, beers had been shouted at his workplace. He thought he was under the limit and drove. When he was pulled over by police, he chose to be blood-tested.

Counsel Elliot Lynch told the court Hill was extremely annoyed with himself, and was motivated to address his offending behaviour.

Mr Lynch said Hill had four previous convictions, three of which were for a similar offences, the first in 1973.

A letter from his employer detailed that staff needed their own cars for work. Mr Lynch told the court Hill was a solo father of a 15-year-old, that he picked her up after she finished her part-time job, and he needed to be available to drive his grandchildren around.

Mr Elliot described the blood alcohol reading as “moderate”.

His application for a community service order was declined, and police did not oppose him applying for a limited licence.

Judge Turitea Bolstad said she was in a difficult situation. She was sympathetic to Hill's situation and that depriving him of his licence would have huge consequences.

The judge adopted a term of nine months imprisonment as a sentencing starting point, but reduced that by 35 percent to reflect his early guilty plea and his remorse.

That was further commuted to community detention, with varied curfew hours so he could still go to work.

Police imposed a fee of $221.99 for the medical analysis fee.