Actor: What I did was stupid

Tammy Davis. Photo / Greg Bowker

Television westie Tammy "Munter" Davis says this week's publicity of his drink-driving conviction made him "look like a dick".

An irritable Davis, actor on award-winning Kiwi comedy Outrageous Fortune, told the Weekend Herald he was annoyed at how he had been portrayed in the media following his appearance in the Auckland District Court on a drink-driving charge on Thursday.

Davis received a $1600 fine and was disqualified from driving for a year and a day after recording a breath-alcohol reading of 798 micrograms, almost twice the legal limit of 400 micrograms.

"There were reporters there and they reported what happened and it's made me look like a dick, and that's fine because what I did was stupid. I made a mistake, you know, no one was hurt.

"What would you like to talk about? Would you like just to keep going?

"Do you want just to keep reporting this 'cause it makes you feel good?"

Davis said he was annoyed his full written statement - which he read to media after his appearance - had not been printed.

"I gave them a statement and they didn't print it all.

"You could have done that, you could have printed it - you could have printed my statement. You could have done something else that ... as far as I'm concerned it's finished.

"What you've printed has done exactly what you wanted it to do which was show people that if you're a star you should act better, okay, and that's fine, okay. I don't agree with it. I think it was a little bit one-sided but hey you guys write the papers."

Davis - whose face featured on last year's Waitakere City Council family violence campaign It's Not Ok - said in court he had thought he could evade a breath test by mentioning the name of a police officer with whom he played football.

Outside court Davis said he "deeply regretted" his action and was "embarrassed and disappointed by my behaviour.

"I am fully aware that drink-driving is simply unacceptable under any circumstances.

"I made an error in judgment and have been held accountable for it.

"Not only have I let myself down but I have let down my family, my friends, my employers and fans.

"I want to take this opportunity to publicly apologise to them and to thank them for their continued support."

Davis also starred in the Oscar-nominated film The Whale Rider and the sequel to Once Were Warriors, What Becomes of the Broken Hearted.

He lives with his partner, Kiwi producer Ainsley Gardiner, and their three daughters in West Auckland.