Judge 'speechless' after hearing man's reason for drink-driving

Tahakura Kohu wanted to see what the police were doing. Turned out, they were looking for drink drivers and arrested him. File / Photo

An intoxicated Bay man caught drink-driving told police he was on his way to check why there was such a large police presence in the area.

Tahakura Kohu, 31, who appeared in the Tauranga District Court yesterday by audio-visual link, admitted driving while disqualified, driving with an excess breath alcohol (both third or subsequent offences), and failing to answer District Court bail.

When Kohu was stopped on Fraser St on July 5 he told the police officer he was on his way to check why so many police were in the area.
His breath alcohol was 729mcg - almost three times the adult legal limit of 250mcg.

Judge Edwin Paul told Kohu he was "speechless" by his reason for driving. "I have heard lots of explanations for drink-driving but I've never heard this one before.

"Your explanation really reflects the fact that you were drunk.

"Any reasonable person who sees a large police presence would have stayed indoors but you failed to do so and that's why you are [in court]." Judge Paul said home detention was out of the question, particularly given Kohu's past convictions, and there was no suitable address to serve such a sentence.

Kohu was sentenced to nine months' prison, with six months' prison release conditions, and disqualified from driving for another year and a day. He will have to apply to resit his driving licence after his finite period of disqualification ends.

A letter will be sent to the vehicle's owner warning it will be permanently confiscated if Kohu is caught driving it again.
-Bay of Plenty Times