Booze and drugs puts woman in court

A “terrible adverse reaction” between alcohol and medication was responsible for Georgina Rose Cook’s behaviour on Christmas Day, according to counsel Wayne Cribb when the 36-yearold appeared before Judge MJ Hunt in the Kaitaia District Court.

Cook, described by Judge Hunt as an intoxicated nuisance, admitted charges of driving with excess alcohol, assaulting police and obstruction. She was convicted and fined a total of $1300 with costs of $390 and a sixmonth disqualification from holding or obtaining a driver’s licence.

According to the prosecution the defendant was a passenger in a car stopped in North Road Kaitaia at about 3.30pm. She verbally abused police, and became physically obstructive to prevent them from completing breath testing.

She kicked a police car door as an officer was getting out, causing him to stumble backwards, and put herself between the officers and the driver, pushing and shoving them.

Police eventually managed to get the driver to the police station, where a third person who was sober drove the car.

Thirty minutes later Cook drove to the police station, parking outside the front door. She was found to have 892 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath, almost three and a half times the legal limit

Mr Cribb told Judge Hunt that his client had never behaved in this way before. She had been told she should not drink while taking her medication, “but it was Christmas Day”.

She was deeply remorseful, he said.

Sentencing of a 32-year-old man who admitted driving with excess alcohol and while disqualified, both for the third or subsequent time, was adjourned to enable the defendant to enter residential rehabilitation.

Kieran Rodney Diack was bailed to appear again on April 19.

The court heard that Diack, who had been disqualified from holding obtaining a driver’s licence in 2012, was stopped by police on SH1 near Kaitaia on December 8 after he was clocked speeding. He recorded 765 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath, telling police he was “just going home”. The legal limit is 250 micrograms.

FOR REHAB