Whangārei drink-driver admits drinking a bottle of bourbon a day

The man was sentenced in the Whangārei District Court before Judge Philip Rzpecky. Photo / 123rf

A man who openly admitted to drinking a bottle of bourbon a day has been sentenced and given a final warning for drink-driving: “Don’t drink drive.”

Graham Clark, 59, of Whangārei, appeared for sentencing in Whangārei District Court on one charge of driving with excess breath alcohol after he blew 875 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath.

The legal amount for an adult is 250 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath.

During Clark’s sentencing before Judge Gene Tomlinson, his lawyer Sam McDonald said Clark was “frank and honest” about his problem with alcohol and had since volunteered himself to a community mental health programme.

“He’s got a booze problem... although this is his seventh drink-driving conviction, he hasn’t driven drunk in six years,” McDonald said.

Police prosecutor Stu Wilkes said Clark was given a final warning for his drunk driving in 1999 but it “fell on deaf ears”.

“I hope we are not going to have him before the court on drink-driving causing death, because he’s putting law-abiding citizens at risk... he simply has not got the message. If you come back, you will go to jail,” Wilkes said.

Judge Tomlinson agreed and said although Clark had sought assistance for his drinking, that assistance had not got him over his alcohol use, as Clark’s first drink-driving offence occurred during the 1981 Springbok tour and he had been steadily appearing in court ever since.

Judge Tomlinson described Clark as a high-functioning alcoholic, and when asked if it was boredom that made him drink, Clark responded: “Yes.”

“Luck has saved every other road user. You’re on your final warning. Don’t drink drive,” Judge Tomlinson warned.

Clark was sentenced to 300 hours of community work, six months of community detention and was disqualified from driving.