Drunk police officer twice legal limit when pulled over

A senior police officer stopped for driving erratically after leaving a police bar was so drunk he had to lean on his car to support himself, according to court documents.

Detective Sergeant John Gualter an instructor at the police college in Porirua, north of Wellington, was more than two times the legal alcohol limit when he was stopped last November 14.

He pleaded guilty in Porirua District Court last Friday to drink driving and dangerous driving and will be sentenced on Friday.

According to a summary of facts seen by a Fairfax media newspaper, another motorist rang police after noticing Gualter weaving across three lanes of traffic on Stage Highway 1, north of Porirua.

The motorist followed him through Porirua, to Linden, watching as he straddled lanes, swerved to miss a pedestrian-crossing pole and a power pole, mounted footpaths, drove on the wrong side of the road and narrowly missed other cars.

"When he got out of his vehicle he was so grossly intoxicated that he was unsteady on his feet, his eyes were glazed and bloodshot, and his speech was slurred, and he had to lean on the vehicle to support himself," the documents said.

Gualter was initially stood down on full pay but returned to restricted duties a month later.

An internal police employment investigation will be conducted after he is sentenced.

- NZPA