Off-duty cop poured evidence down the toilet

Simmonds said he needed the 20 working days to seek instructions on appeal.

Court documents released to Stuff said the man had been a police officer for four years and had previously been stationed at the Auckland Harbour Bridge Patrol Base, assigned to the Impairment Prevention Team (IPT).

On July 24, he was stopped on Quay St at an alcohol checkpoint. He had a breath test, which read 501 micrograms (mcg) of alcohol per litre of breath. He then elected to undergo an evidential blood test.

The breath alcohol limit for drivers over 20 is 250mcg and the blood alcohol limit is 50mg per 100ml of blood.

The officer was forbidden to drive a car for 12 hours and an associate drove him to his home. The officer who took the blood sample secured it at the Harbour Bridge Patrol Base.

‘‘The defendant knowing the procedures and where the evidential blood sample was kept, having worked at IPT, decided to travel to the Harbour Bridge Patrol Base to retrieve and destroy the evidential blood sample, to avoid a criminal conviction and keep his employment,’’ the summary said.

On his drive to the base, he pulled over and put on his police uniform. He drove into the front gate and swiped his access card, which was declined because it had expired. He then drove to a colleague’s house and obtained a valid card.

He went back to the base and walked into the building using the access card to the secure storage location where the blood samples were stored.

The officer checked the register and saw that his sample had been logged into the drop safe. He first removed a package belonging to a member of the public before finding his. He took the package, drove home and took the two vials of blood and poured the contents into the toilet.

On Monday, Judge Pecotic told the man he had had ample time to tell his mother at his last appearance. ‘‘The fact you didn’t do that is on you.’’