Call for permanent licence ban
Recidivist drink-driving offenders should face harsher punishments and have their licences revoked permanently, a road safety charity says.
Serial drink-driver Gavin Hawthorn, who has killed four people in road crashes, was back in court yesterday to face his 12th drink-driving charge after being caught in Paraparaumu in June.
Hawthorn, 56, was sentenced in Porirua District Court to six months’ home detention and 180 hours’ community work, and disqualified from holding or obtaining a licence for two years.
He faced one charge of excess breath alcohol – third or subsequent offence, and avoided a ninth stint in prison.
Caroline Perry, of road safety charity Brake, said that Hawthorn should never be allowed back on the road.
‘‘This driver has consistently put the lives of other road users at risk and shown a complete disregard for the law. In cases where someone is a serious recidivist offender, we want to see stronger sentences and a permanent loss of driving licence.’’
Under New Zealand law, a person can lose their licence ‘‘indefinitely’’ but can eventually regain it.
Hawthorn was jailed for 10 years in 2004 for the manslaughter of Lance Fryer, 34, in a crash in Wairarapa the previous year.
Another crash in 1989, also in Wairarapa, killed three others.
Hawthorn’s record of offending dates back to 1979 and includes eight stints in prison.
This latest offence, in which Hawthorn blew 444 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath, occurred on June 7 after he was stopped at a police checkpoint in Paraparaumu.
In sentencing, Judge James Johnston said Hawthorn’s drinkdriving history was appalling. ‘‘It is indeed one of the worst I’ve seen.’’
The judge said it was by the ‘‘slimmest of margins’’ that Hawthorn did not get sent to prison.
Among his many convictions are 12 for drink-driving, 10 for driving while disqualified, three for dangerous driving, and one for careless driving, as well as others for burglary, theft, drugs and violence.