Drunk driver's victim angry at sentence

Janine Dennerly still needs a crutch to walk and has had to cut back her work hours. Photo / Alan Gibson

A drunk driver who pinned a woman between two cars after losing control on a straight road has been sentenced to nine months home detention.

But the injured mother of five, who lives 100m from the driver, says she can barely leave home and her injuries could be lifelong.

Janine Dennerly, 46, has had four operations on her left leg after being struck outside her Papamoa home in the Bay of Plenty on February 9.

She was helping jumpstart her son Adrian Wild's car on Topaz Rd when Mary Quilty, 23, hit the car from behind. Standing between two parked cars, her legs were crushed.

The impact was so great that Mr Wild's Holden was pushed on to the roof of Quilty's car.

Quilty blew a breath alcohol level of 1004mcg after the crash, 2 times the adult limit. Mr Wild said Quilty had asked "Did I do that?" when surveying the damage.

The court heard on Monday that Quilty was heading to McDonald's after drinking heavily.

She admitted drink driving causing injury and two charges of aggravated careless driving causing injury. It was her fourth driving offence.

When her sentence was read out in Tauranga District Court on Monday, Mrs Dennerly said she angrily stormed out of court.

"Nine months and it's all over for her. But I have a sort of life sentence here," she said.

"I was expecting her to get jail time.

"But now she's just down the road, able to see friends. I can't work much, I can't play with my kids, I've given up exercise and I don't really go anywhere."

A nerve in her left leg was damaged, leaving her with no feeling.

She hoped she would be able to drive an automatic car in future, but still needed a crutch to walk.

Mrs Dennerly had cut back her work as a medical receptionist to 10 hours a week. She said her youngest two children, aged 7, had struggled to cope when she was hospitalised.

Mr Wild also suffered a foot injury in the accident. He was forced out of work for two weeks and had to move out of his flat to live with his parents due to lost income.

Because his car was not insured, he had to walk two hours to work.

Quilty has been disqualified from driving for 18 months, and was required to carry out 200 hours of community service.

She had her sentence reduced by six months after attending a restorative justice session.

On top of $1000 reparation paid to the family, she must pay another $5000 each to Mrs Dennerly and Mr Wild as well as $200 to a third person involved in the accident.