A recidivist driving offender got heavily drunk before taking his flatmate’s friend’s car for a spin without permission and crashing it.
Queenstown chef Kaleb Blair Prasad Lloyd, 33, was disqualified at the time, having been convicted of drink-driving less than two months earlier.
On March 20, Lloyd and a workmate began drinking after work, spending several hours in downtown bars before carrying on at his flat in Frankton.
He then drove the car at high speed, with his workmate in the passenger seat, about 0.5km to Wakatipu Heights, where he lost control on a sharp bend and crashed into two wooden bollards and a fence.
The car, worth about $40,000, was significantly damaged.
Lloyd walked home and was later found by police passed out in bed.
He was charged with unlawfully taking a vehicle, aggravated disqualified driving and careless driving.
At Lloyd’s sentencing in the Queenstown District Court on Monday, counsel Tanya Surrey said the offending was "fuelled by alcohol" and he had not touched a drop since.
Judge Catriona Doyle said the defendant was convicted in January of driving in Auckland with a breath-alcohol level of 1156mcg, or nearly five times the legal limit.
He had five previous convictions for disqualified driving.
In a victim impact statement, his flatmate said he was upset the defendant had entered his bedroom, which was his "sacred place".
The second victim said his badly damaged car was his "pride and joy" as it was the first car he had ever owned.
Lloyd was convicted and sentenced to 100 hours’ community work.
He must pay the first victim $500 reparation for emotional harm, and pay the second victim $500 reparation to cover the car’s insurance excess.
He is disqualified from driving for 12 months, and must undergo nine months’ supervision to address his alcohol issues.
