Drink driver took the wheel after assault, court told

A Rotorua man drove drunk after his sober driver was assaulted, a court has heard.

Jamin Fenton, 22, was sentenced in the Rotorua District Court on Monday to four months' community detention and nine months' supervision after previously pleading guilty to one charge of drink driving and one of driving while disqualified. He was also disqualified from driving indefinitely.

Judge Phillip Cooper said Fenton was stopped by police on March 10 this year and recorded a reading of 903 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath, more than double the legal limit of 400mcg.

It was Fenton's fourth conviction for drink driving, the judge said.

He said Fenton's explanation was he had a sober driver but there was a road rage incident involving another vehicle and the sober driver was assaulted.

Fenton said he jumped in the driver's seat and drove off to avoid further conflict.

The judge said he didn't know the truth of that but noted it was the same explanation given to police at the time.

"It would have been prison but for that," he said.