drunk driving

On the front cover of the NZ Herald today they have a graphic that shows 100,000 or so convictions for drunk driving, 239 people have been let off.

Somehow a lawyer, and the “decent journalist, trained and skilled” who wrote the article, thought that 200 or so of 100,000 or so is 2%, and not 0.2% that you and I both know it is. A 10x multiplication in the number of people released without conviction.  Read more »

Caesar Michael Williams has today plead guilty to drink driving with a blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit:

HOWICK Local Board chairman Michael Williams has been convicted of drink-driving after pleading guilty to the charge when appearing in the Auckland District Court today.

The 47-year-old was initially due to appear at a defended hearing in the Manukau District Court on March 1 charged with driving with excess breath alcohol and refusing to accompany a police officer.

His lawyer, Karen Harding, told the court her client’s defence included the fact the incident “ended up being on private property”, and that once that was resolved with police the second charged was dropped.  Read more »

It is all on again in Howick, Michael Williams is refusing to step aside while he faces drink driving charges. The move comes after his attempted putsch against Adele White failed after a large public gathering openly mocked his attempt.

AN ATTEMPT to have Michael Williams take a leave of absence as Howick Local Board chairman while he awaits a court appearance for drink-driving will be made tonight.

Elected member Lucy Schwaner intends to bring up the issue in extraordinary business at the board’s monthly meeting.

“I’ll try and get board support to encourage Michael to take leave of absence,” she says. “Michael has said he remains in the chair at the pleasure of the board. He’s not willing to make a decision either way, so we have to pursue other means.”

Apart from deputy-chair Adele White, who Mr Williams attempted to oust last month, and Ms White’s other supporter David Collings, Ms Schwaner says there has been no mention to her of the drink-driving charge by any of the other members. “It’s as if it doesn’t exist.”  Read more »

Michael Williams is a disgrace, not only did he fail in his attempt to oust Adele White, but he is also before the courts on drink driving and failing to accompany the Police charges.

After his rinsing on Monday night I would have thought he would step down, but he hasn’t.

He did manage to cancel a drinks session though, as David Farrar reveals in a leaked email. He neglected to tell everyone that the urgent incident was his complete embarrassment before the citizens of Howick on monday night.

I do have an idea for him though…he could emigrate…to Ireland…they seem to have laws that are pretty friendly for politicians like him:

Councillors in rural Ireland have come up with a novel way of tackling the problem of drink-driving – make it legal. Read more »

“Hey you, fetch me some vodka”

There are a number of issues that stem from the Herald revelations into Michael Williams’ problems.

Oh dear me look at what Michael Williams has been hiding from councillors as he makes his powerplay to dump Adele White from the Deputy Chair role at the Howick Local Board.

“This is where the alcohol rehab centre is going. You can be patient number one Michael”

A local politician from a leafy, well-to-do village has been charged with drink-driving and refusing to accompany a police officer.

Michael Williams, a chartered accountant and the Howick Local Board chairman, faces a defended hearing at the Manukau District Court on March 1.

Williams was charged after the roadside incident in May but has kept the matter from his board members amid his bid to replace deputy chairwoman Adele White, who is also a senior police constable.

Williams is charged with being more than twice the legal limit with a reading of 169ml of alcohol per litre of blood, and refusing to accompany a police officer in Auckland on May 10.

For a so-called pillar of the community those are serious charges. Particularly refusing to accompany a police officer…which is polite legal speak for “got himself arrested”. The penalty for that is up to a $4500 fine as determined by the court.  Read more »

As dumb as it is to drive drunk, it’s even dumber to brag about it on social media to 655 people on your friends list.

Jacob Cox-Brown, an 18-year-old from Oregon, learned that lesson on New Year’s Day when police showed up at his door after they were alerted to a Facebook post he wrote about driving drunk, KGW.com reports.

“Drivin drunk… classsic but to whoever’s vehicle i hit i am sorry. ,” the status update read, according to the news outlet.

Astoria Police Department, Oregon

Read more »

The Herald on Sunday continues their wonky jihad on drunk driving by attacking the government.

New Zealanders are dying and being seriously injured in crashes that could have been avoided with a lower drink-drive limit.

The Government has refused to move on a lower blood alcohol limit until it has proof it would make a difference – but the whole time that evidence has been available from the Ministry of Transport and Cabinet refuses to consider it.

Statistics obtained by the Herald on Sunday under the Official Information Act show in the last four years 20 people have been killed in road accidents involving drinking drivers just below the legal limit.

Another 281 people have been seriously injured in crashes where a drink-driver was also tested and found to be just under the limit.

That is all well and good, but their hypothesis is flawed. If the stats are as they say..and since they haven’t released them then we can’t know for sure, that these people died with a blood alcohol level of just under the current limit, then they would still be dead if the limit was reduced..except now they would have been over it.

To blame the government for poor decision making and driving skills of drunk drivers is pathetic.

The Herald on Sunday cannot claim that those 20 people would have still been alive if the limit had been lowered.

ᔥ NZ Herald

Why has the justice system let this guy go for so long? He has 25 previous drunk driving convictions…let’s extend 3 strikes:

Recidivist drink driver Raymond Laing has been sentenced for his 26th drink driving offence in Napier District Court today, receiving three years in prison.

It was the maximum sentence the judge could impose, totalling two years for drunk driving and two for driving while disqualified, reduced due to a guilty plea.

His early guilty plea and acceptance of responsibility were acknowledged by Judge Watson, but due to the “serious risk to the safety of the community” he posed, the maximum possible sentence was handed down.

The judge also noted previous prison sentences had not deterred him from reoffending, and he had a record totalling “16 pages of previous criminal convictions”. It was the 26th time he had been caught drink driving, and the 31st time driving while disqualified.

He was also disqualified from driving indefinitely.

I doubt he will stop driving…even with his disqaulification.

This is nothing short of child abuse:

A mother nearly three times over the drink-driving limit had her two young children strapped in the back seat of her car when she drifted to the wrong side of the road and hit an oncoming car, a court has been told.

“The oncoming drivers must have been scared witless, let alone the effect on your children,” Judge Michael Crosbie told solo mother Joanne Tracy Oates, 41, of Outram.

Oates appeared in Dunedin District Court yesterday and admitted driving with a breath-alcohol level of 1170mcg, dangerous driving and failing to stop after an accident.

Prosecutor Sergeant Paul Knox said Oates was at home with her children, aged 3 and 5, on January 16 when she decided to go for a drive after drinking throughout the day.

About 4.50pm, driving her Isuzu Bighorn on State Highway 87 with her children secure in the rear seat, Oates was weaving as she travelled about 90kmh.

Oates drifted on to the wrong side of the road, forcing three oncoming cars to move as far left as possible to avoid impact.

Her car hit the driver’s side of the second vehicle, sending it spinning.

Oates did not stop and continued driving, followed by a member of the public who gave directions to police.

When she was stopped in Mosgiel, Oates was extremely intoxicated, slurring her speech and unsteady on her feet.

No one was injured in the crash but Oates’ vehicle, and the vehicle she struck both had extensive damage.

Oates was initially abusive and blamed the crash on the other driver.