Five on drink-driving charges appear in Dannevirke District Court

Five drink drivers were scheduled to appear in Dannevirke District Court on Monday.

Five people were to appear in Dannevirke District Court on drink-driving charges on Monday.

Of those five, two were sentenced, one failed to appear and two were remanded.

Ngarangi Tiwhatiwha Malcolm Haenga, 30, was caught driving on November 16 in Dannevirke with a breath-alcohol level of 674.

Counsel Alan Cressey said Haenga admitted it was a silly thing to do.

Judge Gerard Lynch told Haenga he was caught driving at 12.20am and knew he shouldn't have been.

"You put yourself and other road users at risk or injury or death. It was an error of judgement on your part."

Judge Lynch said as a family man, if anything had happened to Haenga, the loss of his income would have hit his family hard.

"This was a serious lapse on your part and I doubt whether we will see you back in court."

Haenga was fined $675, ordered to pay $130 court costs and disqualified from driving for six months.

Terina Jean May Gemmell, 41, was caught driving with a breath-alcohol level of 981.

Cressey told the court the offending was the result of a combination of emotional turmoil
and increased alcohol intake.

Judge Lynch said Gemmell was seen drifting over the white line while she was driving on September 18.

"You have a lot going on in your life and you have got some challenges ahead, but you are not sitting on your butt, you are doing something about these issues."

He told Gemmell that sometimes a fine was off the agenda because of the alcohol level recorded.

"But in your case a fine of four figures is not going to work either. I will impose a moderate fine and supervision."

He fined Gemmell $675 and court costs of $130 and disqualified her from driving for six months. At the end of that she is to apply for a zero alcohol licence which will last for three years.

Judge Lynch said at the end of the time she must reapply for her licence or she would be treated as a disqualified driver.

He sentenced her to nine months' supervision.

Carterton man Patrick Edward Coddington, 37, was caught driving in Dannevirke on September 17 with a breath-alcohol level of 1524.

He was remanded to reappear on January 23.

Tiria Vella was remanded to appear on December 6 for driving with a breath-alcohol level of 800 on April 4 on High St.