EX-TV star’s life ‘disintegrated’
A former television star caught drink-driving twice in a fortnight has been granted permanent name suppression to protect his mental health.
His lawyer, Rob Harrison, said in court on Monday the ‘‘disintegration’’ of the man’s life led to alcohol issues, depression and ultimately his offending.
The man was four times the legal limit when he drove over a man’s leg on a pedestrian track at the Taylor River, in Blenheim, on November 19.
He looked over his shoulder at the man lying on the ground, and then drove away. Police found him parked nearby, a police summary said.
He gave a blood test result of 204 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood. The legal limit is 50mg.
Ten days later, the man was driving from Nelson to Blenheim when he swerved over the centre line.
He was driving through unsealed roadworks with a 50kmh speed limit at Whangamoa on State Highway 6, about 8.45pm on November 29.
The man lost control on a moderate right bend, slid into the path of an oncoming truck and trailer unit, bounced off the trailer and crashed into a wire rope barrier.
Both the man and the truck driver were injured and taken to Nelson Hospital.
The former television star gave a blood test result of 227mg.
He admitted two counts of drink-driving and one of careless driving at the Blenheim District Court in January, but was remanded twice so he could finish a residential rehab course before sentencing.
The man had appeared regularly on New Zealand television until about 10 years ago.
He had interim name suppression and applied to make it permanent in court on Monday.
Harrison said his client had graduated from the rehabilitation course, but was still a ‘‘recovering alcoholic’’ at a ‘‘precarious point’’.
A psychologist warned against lifting the man’s name suppression, saying if the man’s name was published there would be a ‘‘real and significant risk’’ he would start drinking again.
‘‘He is particularly vulnerable and particularly at risk of a further decline,’’ Harrison said.
There were other cases in which a pre-existing mental health condition, which contributed to the offending, was considered reason enough to grant final name suppression.
Judge David Ruth said the probation report, rehabilitation report and psychologist’s report all described how the man’s ‘‘difficult personal circumstances’’ had made his addictions worse lately.
His depression and suicide ideation had ‘‘no doubt’’ contributed to the ‘‘bizarre situation of you offending again so soon’’, Judge Ruth said.
‘‘There has been some selfmedication with alcohol in times of extreme distress. You’ve been drinking horrendous amounts of alcohol and you have developed a tolerance for it.
‘‘There are plans in place to