Drivers under the influence

A repeat drink-driver was on the way to pick up his intoxicated partner when he was nabbed again – only two months after his last conviction for the same crime.

About 1.55am on November 3, Colin Justin Sollitt was stopped at a random checkpoint on Eltham’s High St, where he blew 921 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath, close to four times the legal limit of 250mcg.

The summary of facts said he was on his way to Ha¯ wera to pick up his drunk partner who did not have a ride home when he was pinged by police.

Sollitt has four previous drinkdrive convictions, with his last recorded on September 11 this year in the Ha¯wera District Court.

At that appearance he was disqualified from driving for a minimum of 28 days, after which he became eligible to apply for an alcohol interlock device. He has yet to obtain one.

Yesterday, in the Ha¯ wera District Court, Sollitt pleaded guilty to driving with excess breath alcohol on a third or subsequent occasion and driving while disqualified.

Sollitt will be sentenced on February 19, as will another recidivist drink driver who appeared in court yesterday.

Jaie Christopher Scott pleaded guilty to driving with excess breath alcohol on a third or subsequent occasion after he was charged following a police stop last month.

The Eltham man was spotted by police talking on his cellphone while driving along Mountain Rd in Stratford about 5pm on October 20.

After being spoken to, the 33-year-old was breath tested and returned a result of 703 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath.

Judge Lynne Harrison convicted Scott, and asked for a pre-sentence report to be prepared ahead of next year’s sentencing.

Meanwhile, being found with traces of MDMA and fentanyl in his blood after a crash landed first-time offender Cody Noel Powell-Bunn in the dock.

Yesterday, the 21-year-old pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and careless driving after a September 2 incident on Cardiff Rd, near Stratford.

Sergeant Steve Hickey told the Ha¯wera District Court that Powell-Bunn was behind the wheel of his car when it left the road and crashed into a paddock.

The defendant had to be cut out of the vehicle by emergency services and Hickey said a blood sample was taken from PowellBunn at the hospital, which was found to contain traces of MDMA and fentanyl.

Lawyer Rajan Rai said his client was a truck driver so any disqualification would make his life difficult.

Rai said Powell-Bunn was going through a tough time when the crash happened but had since got help. He said the defendant was able to pay a fine at $40 a week and intended to apply for a limited licence in order to work.

Judge Harrison gave PowellBunn credit for his early guilty pleas and his lack of previous convictions, but also highlighted the danger of his actions.

‘‘You’re very lucky you did not end up dead in a paddock.’’

Powell-Bunn was fined a total of $1000 and ordered to pay $260 in court costs.

He was also disqualified from driving for nine months.