Alcohol centre worker jailed for drink driving

An alcohol treatment centre employee who caused a car accident when drunk has found that refusing a blood specimen could not keep him out of jail.

Christchurch District Court Judge John Bisphan told Shane Peter Hope, appearing on his fourth drink-driving charge, that courts took a firm line on refusals.

Hope was jailed for two months after he admitted assaulting police, refusing to give a blood sample, failing to stop after an accident, careless use, and failing to give information.

Hope was a relapsed alcoholic whose drinking binge led to the offending. He had three previous drink-driving convictions, including two with the high levels of 1100 and 1356 micrograms per litre of breath, the judge said. The limit is 400.

Lawyer Michael Knowles said Hope had now learned the lesson of all recovering alcoholics - they were never cured, and each day had to guard against a relapse.

But there was almost a 10-year gap since his last offence. In his job at a treatment centre he had helped others going through the same process.

It was unfortunate he relapsed, but he was perhaps to be commended rather than condemned for his long period of sobriety. Hope suffered a broken ankle as a result of the assault, which had been a traumatic wake-up call, Knowles said.

- NZPA