Dunedin man four times drink-driving limit caught on way to get wine for breakfast

A man whose breath-alcohol was more than four times the drink-driving limit was on his way to get wine at breakfast time, a court has heard. Photo / ODT

A man whose breath-alcohol was more than four times the drink-driving limit was on his way to get wine at breakfast time, a court has heard.

On November 5 at 9.40am, Peter Hamilton Irvine, 60, overshot a turn into North Rd, in Dunedin, narrowly missed a parked bus, then collided with the driver's door of a Toyota.

Yesterday's appearance before the Dunedin District Court marked his third conviction for a drink-driving offence.

Court documents show he drove about 30kmh, weaving along North Rd in the aftermath.

Police found his vehicle at 10am outside his home with the keys still inside and the engine running.

When arrested and taken to the Dunedin Central Police Station, he explained he was driving to the supermarket to buy more wine.

He gave a breath-alcohol result of 1380mcg, more than five times the legal limit.

Breath tests in 2003 and 2019 showed similarly large results of 1071mcg, and 1295mcg respectively.

Irvine's offences appeared to be increasing "in frequency and seriousness," Judge David Robinson said.

Counsel Chris Lynch said Irvine was a man who suffered an alcohol addiction, one that was genetically influenced.

However, he had started taking Antabuse and was willing to complete any rehabilitative programmes required, she submitted.

"He knows staying off alcohol is what he needs to do to not come back to court."

As well as a sentence from Judge David Robinson in the Dunedin District Court yesterday, Irvine was handed a stern verbal warning from the judge's bench about his freedom.

"This is probably the only time the court is going to look at a rehabilitative sentence of this nature ... the fact we're not talking about injury or death is merely good fortune," Judge Robinson said.

If he were to return, he would face a term of imprisonment.

The court would "need to start protecting the community and that includes locking people up".

On charges of drink-driving and careless driving, Irvine was sentenced to 12 months' intensive supervision and disqualified indefinitely.