Crashing Porsche adds to policeman's drink woes

An Auckland constable was two times over the legal drink-driving limit when he crashed his future mother-in-law's Porsche while being chased by police.

Alexander Grant pleaded guilty to driving with excess breath alcohol, reckless driving and failing to stop when he appeared in the Auckland District Court yesterday.

The court heard the 31-year-old had been stood down from his job on another matter when he came to the attention of the police on October 17.

Defence lawyer Pete Boylan said Grant had been drinking with a colleague the night before and had had little sleep when he climbed into the Porsche.

His passenger was another Auckland-based police officer who was involved in VIP protection.

Prosecutor Roger Chambers said Grant was driving along Orakei Rd at "excessive speed" when police noticed him and tried to pull him over.

Instead Grant "accelerated at high speed".

As he was being chased he lost control of the Porsche and smashed into a fence, causing more than $2500 of damage.

He then continued, at one stage driving 20m on the wrong side of the road and through a busy intersection, before turning into Dell Ave and pulling into a driveway.

Grant got out of the driver's seat but his passenger, who told investigators he asked for the car to be stopped during the chase, stayed in his seat.

The court heard how Grant smelled of alcohol, slurred his words and was later found to be two times over the legal drink-driving limit.

Mr Boylan said Grant had spent five and a half years in the police and had been stood down about a year ago after transferring from the CIB, where he had been heavily involved in a murder investigation.

"He was suffering stress and there's a direct correlation between that stress and his behaviour and that's alcohol."

The court heard that Grant was now attending meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous and has been sober since October.

Mr Boylan said Grant apologised to the owner of the damaged fence and had offered to pay the $2595 bill soon after the incident.

He was also repaying his future mother-in-law the $20,000 it cost to repair the Porsche.

Grant, who was supported in court by his fiancee and her mother, did not want to talk to reporters after his appearance.

He was convicted, fined, ordered to pay $2595 in reparation to the fence owner and disqualified from driving for eight months. He was also ordered to pay court costs.

A police spokeswoman said Grant would remain stood down from his job pending an internal investigation and court charges on a different matter.