Chronic drunk driver accepts he will go to jail

A man with 18 previous convictions for driving while drunk and seven convictions for driving while disqualified has accepted he will go to jail.

Anthony Robert Crook, 36, a farmer, of Kahutara, appeared before Judge Geoffrey Ellis in Masterton District Court yesterday after being convicted of driving while drunk and driving while disqualified on State Highway 2 in April.

On that occasion Crook recorded 708 micrograms of alcohol a litre of breath, close to double the legal limit of 400 micrograms.

His lawyer, Jane Johnson, told the court that Crook was resigned to a jail sentence but was undergoing assessment for his alcohol problem and more information, which would take about six weeks, was needed before sentencing.

Judge Ellis said he was "frankly surprised that nothing has been done about it yet", and he had come to court fully prepared to send Crook to jail and grant him leave to apply for home detention.

There was to be no more putting aside what had to be done and he said if Crook was serious about doing something about his drinking, he was to "go and do it", the judge said.

Judge Ellis said it was good that Crook had accepted a prison term was inevitable, and ordered him to appear for sentencing on July 21.

- WAIRARAPA TIMES-AGE (MASTERTON)