
Ricky Jingwei Fung, 19, pleaded guilty to drink-driving in the Dunedin District Court on Friday.
The court heard that on December 21, the defendant was celebrating "tradies day".
He was driving his friend’s ute along Springfield Rd, when he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the front entrance of a property.
He damaged a fence, brick wall and the front door, and a window was smashed by flying bricks.
Breath-testing procedures revealed a breath-alcohol level of 702mcg — nearly three times the legal limit.
Fung said he knew he should not have been driving after drinking, especially as he was on his learner’s licence.
In a statement to the court the victims, aged in their 70s, said since the defendant ploughed through their front fence they had waited months for repairs to their house.
They felt nervous when cars drove past quickly and did not want to leave the house while the front door was boarded up awaiting repairs.
"From this one senseless preventable act, we have been severely impacted," they wrote.
Counsel Ann Leonard said her client had apologised to the victims in person and paid their insurance excess.
He was also making significant weekly contributions to his friend, whose truck was badly damaged in the crash.
"He’s devastated, absolutely mortified," Ms Leonard said.
"He’s done everything he can to put this right."
She said Fung’s character was previously "unblemished" and the incident could be characterised as "a stupid mistake".
Community magistrate Sally O’Brien was impressed by the efforts Fung had made to put things right.
"Thankfully, you weren’t injured [and] the people who owned the house were not injured," she said.
Ms O’Brien disqualified Fung from driving for six months and imposed no further penalty.