A Queenstown man is facing an $18,000 bill after wiping out a fence with his car while drunk.
Police say Freig then fled before returning to his car with a friend about an hour later.
Given a breath screening test because he was showing signs of intoxication, he returned a positive result.
A subsequent blood-alcohol test gave a reading of 180mg, or more than three times the legal limit.
Freig, a Chilean national living in Queenstown on a partnership visa, was sentenced on charges of drink-driving and careless driving in the Queenstown District Court yesterday.
Counsel Bryony Shackell said the large amount of reparation owing, along with a mandatory driving disqualification, would be "sufficiently punitive", and asked for a modest fine.
Judge Mark Williams said Freig’s alcohol reading was very high, and he had caused "considerable damage" to property.
The defendant would normally get an alcohol interlock sentence, but was exempted because he did not hold a New Zealand driver’s licence.
He entered the convictions, imposed a fine of $300 and ordered the defendant to pay medical and analyst fees of $321.34.
Freig is disqualified for 12 months, then will be subject to a zero-alcohol licence for three years.
He must pay reparation of $10,490 to the Queenstown Resort College for fence repairs, $3527 to the apartment’s body corporate for fence repairs and other property damage, $2705 to the Queenstown Lakes District Council for footpath repairs and $1299 to the police for towing his car.
Also sentenced by Judge Williams yesterday were.—
— Marco Franco Fulgoni, 18, driver, of Queenstown, intentional damage, August 26, sentence deferred six months, reparation $1300.88.
— Thomas Sommerville Maxwell, 36, musician, of Arrowtown, breaching community work, October 2, sentence deferred six months.
— Rory Paul McKay, 36, of Queenstown, trespass, June 1-23; assault, June 1-30; threatening to kill, August 23; unlawfully in a building, September 10, 18 months’ intensive supervision.
guy.williams@odt.co.nz , PIJF court reporter
