Serial drink-driver jailed...again

JAILED: Carterton man Haydyn Maui Senior, 37, has been jailed on his eighth drink-driving and 16th driving while disqualified convictions.PHOTO/FILE

He's been caught drink-driving eight times and driving while disqualified 16 times, but Haydyn Maui Senior won't be a risk to the community for a while - he's been jailed.

The 37-year-old was in the "grip of alcohol addiction", his lawyer told the court at sentencing recently.

Judge Barbara Morris told Senior she had little choice but to protect the community from his offending and sentenced him to 12 months' imprisonment.

He had previously pleaded guilty to drink-driving and driving while disqualified charges along with a charge of failing to stop for police.

On October 2, about 7.30pm, two separate motorists alerted police to Senior's driving on State Highway 2, Carterton, as they witnessed him crossing the centre line numerous times.

They followed him to a Dalefield address and when police arrived a short time later, Senior got back in the car and drove towards Lincoln Rd, the court heard.

Police saw him swerving onto the wrong side of the road and tried to stop him but he continued weaving along the road for 2km before stopping.

But instead of waiting to talk to police, he ran away and was caught only when a police dog bit him and he had to be taken to Wairarapa Hospital for treatment. He tried to tell police he wasn't the driver.

A blood sample provided a positive alcohol result of 129mg per 100 millilitres of blood.

At the time the adult alcohol blood limit was 80mg but has since been dropped to only 50mg or 250mcg for breath. It remains zero for drivers under 20.

Lawyer Jock Blathwayt said his client needed intensive help including residential treatment and he knew imprisonment was the only option for the court.

"He is in the grip of alcohol addiction. He has tried various ways. Nothing has worked ... one does not know what one can do in these circumstances," he said.

Judge Morris said Senior had last been jailed in 2012 for drink-driving.

He was a danger on the road, she said.

"Your driving was so erratic the public called police ... it's just fortunate no one was injured or worse, from your driving ... it was bad driving with a high reading."

She sentenced him to 12 months' jail, disqualified him from driving for 18 months and ordered he undertake six months' post-release conditions and a drug dependency programme while in prison.

Senior has already been indefinitely disqualified.