A Tauranga woman caught driving with a reading of 1154 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath had "a very poor record indeed", stretching back over 20 years and should not drive again, a judge said today.
Doreen Thompson, 37, was sentenced to eight months' home detention by Judge Ian Thomas in Tauranga District Court.
She will have strict rehabilitation conditions to meet for six months after that and has also been disqualified from driving indefinitely.
"You cannot afford to drive again," the judge stressed.
Thompson had faced numerous drink driving and disqualified driving charges in the past and was jailed in 2004.
Prison would be the first option to consider again because of the high breath alcohol level, combined with being a disqualified driver. But he was going to give her a chance, Judge Thomas said.
He agreed with Thompson's lawyer Peter Attwood that the contents of a pre-sentence report "should remain between the three of us," meaning judge, counsel and client.
"Every time you drink and drive you are at risk of injuring yourself and other people," the judge said.
"You have to change that."
Thompson's explanation for the latest offences was that a friend was supposed to drive but started to fall asleep, so she took over.
"It's a pity you did," Judge Thomas said. "You have to stop driving."
