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The former head of high-profile alcohol rehabilitation centre The Deanery has admitted drink-driving.
Ewen McLeod, 59, admitted charges of excess breath alcohol and driving while forbidden in the Christchurch District Court yesterday.
He was found to be more than double the legal breath alcohol limit after driving his BMW into a ditch near his Canterbury home in March.
McLeod has had similar charges on at least two other occasions.
He has denied another drink-driving charge he is facing.
McLeod ran The Deanery in Christchurch using controversial methods. His clientele included high-profile English model Paula Hamilton.
The centre collapsed four years ago and has since been put into liquidation.
Ms Hamilton, who shot to fame in the 1980s as the face of the Volkswagen Golf, entered The Deanery in July 2000 after fleeing the limelight in England and seeking treatment for her alcohol addiction.
Her treatment at The Deanery appeared unsuccessful as she was twice convicted of drink-driving in New Zealand.
She also won $40,000 compensation from the Human Rights Review Tribunal which found The Deanery had breached her privacy.
Police said that after a drunk McLeod drove into the ditch, he then tried to tow his vehicle out with another car.
He told police he had had a "couple of beers". He said he was planning to drive to a shop some distance from his home.
