Woman jailed for drinking, driving

A recidivist drink-driver has been sentenced to jail after a judge rejected her lawyer’s pleas for home detention because of her conviction history.

Paremoeone Paku, 61, was sentenced to a year and two months’ jail and disqualified from driving indefinitely by Judge Bernadette Farnan in the Invercargill District Court on Thursday.

Paku pleaded guilty to refusing to give police a blood specimen, refusing to accompany police, and breaching a zero alcohol licence. Police saw Paku parked on the side of the road on April 7, drinking a stubbie of beer. She was pulled over after she drove off.

Her lawyer, Keith Owen, called for the judge to sentence her to home detention, as recommended in a pre-sentence report. However, the judge did not accept the recommendation.

‘‘I’m not open slightest.’’

Paku had seven previous drinkdriving convictions, between 1988 and 2012, for which the levels were ‘‘extremely high’’.

‘‘It seems clear to me Ms Paku has a serious alcohol problem.’’

The judge, who also ordered Paku not to obtain an interest in a motor vehicle for two years and be subject to a zero alcohol licence, did grant her leave to apply to convert her jail sentence to home detention to it in the

Assaulting a female

Shay Wiremu Sylva was sentenced to six months’ supervision for assaulting a female at Te Anau on July 5.

Intimidation

John Ranui Peek was ordered to come up if called upon within six months for intimidation.

Drink-driving

Robert Alfie Mahy, 38, was ordered to pay $83.98 reparation and sentenced to 10 months’ jail and disqualified from driving for a year and six months for driving with a breath alcohol level of 995mcg at Alexandra, driving while disqualified, and shoplifting.

Bobby Mani Lake, of Dacre, 560mcg on May 15, was sentenced to three months’ home detention and disqualified for a year and four months.

Driving

Michael George Mulligan was sentenced to 16 months’ jail and disqualified for 15 months for driving while disqualified, giving false details to police, possessing cannabis and synthetic cannabis, and breaching release conditions.

Jacob George Topi was sentenced to 40 hours’ community work and disqualified for six months for driving while suspended and failing to give his name and address.