A police patrol car was travelling in Malaghans Rd near Millbrook Resort about 1am on New Year’s Day, when it encountered a stationary vehicle in the middle of the road.
Behind the wheel was Arrowtown landscaper James Robert Waugh, 25, who fish-tailed his car as he drove off and accelerated away.
However, he pulled over when the patrol car’s red and blue lights were activated. A breath test gave a reading of 1081mcg — four times the legal limit.
Checks showed he had a zero-alcohol licence, which was the result of two previous drink-driving convictions.
He told the officer at the scene he had performed the loss of traction manoeuvre to impress his passengers.
At Waugh’s sentencing in the Queenstown District Court yesterday, counsel Paige Noorland said he "demonstrated some appalling behaviour" while "peacocking" for his friends.
Since his arrest, he had completed The Right Track programme, which had "opened his eyes" to the potentially devastating consequences of his behaviour.
The nationwide programme, which aims to change the behaviour of young or recidivist driving offenders, has a track record of dramatically reducing reoffending rates.
Asked by Judge Russell Walker what he had learned from the programme, Waugh said he had made some "dumb decisions" by drink-driving over the years, and now realised he could easily have killed or seriously injured someone.
Judge Walker convicted him of aggravated drink-driving, breaching a zero-alcohol licence and sustained loss of traction, and imposed a sentence of 70 hours’ community work and 12 months’ supervision.
After a 28-day stand-down, Waugh can apply for an alcohol interlock licence.
