Driving drunk leads to car ownership ban

Jacob David Powell, 20, was convicted before Judge Geoffrey Ellis.

If Jacob David Powell still owned a car it would have been confiscated by the court after he was convicted on his second drink-driving charge.

The 20-year-old pleaded guilty to a charge of drink-driving when he before Judge Geoffrey Ellis in Masterton District Court.

Prosecuting Sergeant Garry Wilson said Powell was stopped by police driving in Main St Greytown about 1am on September 26 and exercised his right to give a blood sample which revealed he had an alcohol level of 110 milligrams per 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit for an adult driver is currently 80mg but will soon be dropped to 50mg.

Powell said at the time he thought "he was okay to drive", Mr Wilson said.

Mr Wilson said because it was Powell's second conviction his car was liable for confiscation. However, Powell told the judge he had sold the car the weekend before court because the clutch had gone on it.

Because Powell didn't own the car any longer, the prosecutor requested the court sign an order banning Powell from ownership or interest in a vehicle for 12 months.

Judge Ellis told Powell there would be more serious consequences if he were caught drinking-driving a third time as he signed an order banning him from having any interest in a car for the next year. Judge Ellis warned Powell about the consequences of another drink driving-conviction. "If you get convicted a third time it could be more serious. You could go inside. Not fun."

He fined Powell $800 plus $130 court costs and $395.37 medical fees and disqualified him from driving for nine months.