KEY POINTS:
A woman caught driving with five unrestrained children in the car while she was twice over the drink-driving limit told police she was trying to get away from a domestic disturbance.
Trevina Rose Baker, 28, a watersider from Whangarei, appeared in the Whangarei District Court yesterday on charges of drink-driving, driving while forbidden, breach of bail, and an earlier charge of wilful damage.
Baker was caught driving with five unrestrained children, all under the age of 4, on Fairburn St in Whangarei at 1.20am yesterday, said Northland district road policing manager Inspector Clifford Paxton.
A sixth child had a seatbelt on.
Court documents show Baker had been charged at least twice before.
"At the end of the day, Northland has got a significant recidivist drink-driving issue," Mr Paxton said.
"It continues to be a problem for us. Despite significant efforts being made to deter drink-drivers, there's still a section of the community that doesn't get the message."
Mr Paxton said he was disappointed by the incident, adding that two Northland police areas featured in New Zealand's top-five crash rates involving alcohol.
He said 25 per cent of all crashes in the Far North involved alcohol.
Mr Paxton called for the public to influence drink-driving by ensuring it was not socially acceptable.
"It's always disappointing for Northland," he said of the incident, "because it reflects particularly on Northland and I think we can expect more from Northlanders.
"We have a challenge ahead of us to make Northland a safer and a better place."
Police allege Baker blew a breath-alcohol reading of 839 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath. The legal limit is 400mcg.
Baker also faces a charge of intentional damage. She is alleged to have smashed three windows at a house on November 8.
A warrant was issued for her arrest when she failed to appear on November 12 to face that charge.
Yesterday, she was stopped by the Whangarei Traffic Alcohol Group.
Mr Paxton said Baker told police there had been a disturbance at the address she had been at and she wanted to take the children home.
She has bail and is to reappear on all charges on December 3. She will receive fines of $150 for each of the unrestrained children.
Baker was not home when the Herald visited yesterday.
