Twoyear driving ban for drinkdriver

MICHAEL Joseph Batchelor’s ‘‘bad day’’ got a whole lot worse when a broken heart was followed by a broken nose.

Counsel Alan de Jager said the 28yearold had gone through ‘‘a very traumatic breakup with his girlfriend’’ on February 5.

That mattered little in sentencing, Judge Emma Smith told the Dunedin District Court on Wednesday, and she banned Batchelor from driving for two and ahalf years.

The defendant had an ‘‘appalling’’ driving history, the judge noted. On previous court appearances, Batchelor was said to have accrued nearly 100 driving infringements and had been suspended from driving at least six times.

Most recently, he was seen by police driving in Cumberland St in an unwarranted Toyota Hilux, with his headlights off, carrying a passenger who was not wearing a seatbelt.

At one point, officers saw Batchelor get out of the vehicle at traffic lights to check his headlights.

In Strathallan St, police activated their redandblue lights and the defendant ‘‘sped off’’.

The pursuing unit almost immediately gave up the chase as the man headed towards Portsmouth Dr.

At another set of lights, the court heard, Batchelor spun the Toyota 360 degrees before stopping, only to lose traction again and crash into a pole.

The driver broke his nose but the passenger was uninjured.

A breathalcohol test gave a result of 982mcg, nearly four times the legal limit.

More concerning, Judge Smith said, was the fact this was the third time Batchelor had failed to stop for police.

He was also ‘‘belligerent and abusive’’ to police that night.

Given Batchelor’s record, the judge said it was impressive he had remained out of trouble for four years. It was only that, she said, that saved him from a spell behind bars.

Batchelor was convicted of drinkdriving and failing to stop, and sentenced to three months’ community detention, 12 months’ supervision and 100 hours’ community work.