Home detention for drink-driver who hit elderly couple

Drink-driver Brenda Gordon in Tauranga District Court. Photo/file.

A woman who drank a bottle of wine and whose daughter pleaded with her not to drive has been sentenced to home detention after crashing head-on into an elderly Katikati couple, inflicting life-threatening injuries to the couple.

Brenda Ingarangi Gordon, 45, was sentenced to eight months home detention to start on May 7.

Gordon, who earlier pleaded guilty to two charges of causing injury while driving with an excess blood alcohol, was sentenced in Tauranga District Court today.

Drink drive crash survivors AInez and Harry Johns

She was also disqualified from driving for two years and ordered to pay $22,000 reparation.

About 5.20pm on November 26 last year, Gordon's vehicle crossed onto the wrong side of the road and collided head on with Harry and Inez Johns' vehicle on Turner Rd, Katikati.

The crash nearly cost the life of 80-year-old Mrs Johns, who was driving.

She was hospitalised with life-threatening spinal injuries to her lower back and internal injuries.

Her 85-year-old husband in the passenger seat was also hospitalised with spinal fractures to his neck and broken ribs.

The couple both require long-term rehabilitation.

Gordon, who was also injured in the crash, was found to be driving with an excess blood alcohol of 116 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood - the adult legal limit is 80 milligrams.

The court heard how Gordon drank a bottle of wine and her daughter had pleaded with her not to drive before she got behind the wheel.

In February the Johns told the Bay of Plenty Times about their struggle through their recovery. Read their story here.