I was just being an egg, drunk driver says

A Bay man caught drink driving was pepper-sprayed after pinning a constable in the corner of a room and refusing to release him, before shoulder-barging the officer and spitting at other police.

In Tauranga District Court yesterday William Kinnamont Pryor, 46, was sentenced to 60 hours' community work and lost his licence for six months after pleading guilty to drink driving and three charges of assault on police.

The incident unfolded after Pryor was stopped driving on State Highway 2 at Te Puke at about 7.12pm on June 13.

A subsequent evidential breath alcohol test gave a reading of 769 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath - almost twice the adult legal limit of 400 mcgs.

While later being processed, Pryor became enraged and lunged at a police officer, pinning him in the corner of the room, and refusing to release him.

Pryor was subsequently pepper-sprayed. While being placed in a cell, Pryor shoulder-barged an officer and spat at him and another officer.

In explanation Pryor said he could not believe he was over the limit and was "just being an egg."

However, he admitted he had consumed a bottle of vodka and 24 stubbies of beer that day.

Duty solicitor Simon Whitehead told Judge Thomas Ingram that Pryor had not consumed all the vodka himself, but accepted his behaviour was totally out of order.

Pryor was embarrassed and had self-referred to get counselling for anger management and alcohol problems.

Judge Ingram told Pryor he needed to understand this sort of behaviour "won't be tolerated."

Meanwhile, Hairini man Aaron Jonathan, 19, who had been drinking when he brandished a hammer at a group of men and accused them of stealing his shoes, before kicking an officer in the head, was sentenced to 80 hours' community work.