Tourist fined, disqualified for Wild Foods drink-driving
An American woman on her honeymoon in New Zealand has been fined and disqualified for driving after enjoying the hospitality of the Hokitika Wild Foods festival last week.
Sydney Fox Wagener, 32, of Portland, Oregon, was told by Judge Charles Blaikie: “We can’t treat people visiting New Zealand any differently than we treat our own people.”
Defence counsel Peter Dyhrberg said Wagener and her husband had enjoyed their three week holiday in New Zealand, and planned to return for another visit. He urged the judge to accept there were special reasons and not impose the disqualification.
The couple are due to fly home in five days, and Wagener was warned in court that she would be unable to leave the country unless the $500 fine and medical expenses of $184 for the blood test were paid. The judge imposed the minimum six months disqualification.
She had pleaded guilty to a charge of drink-driving with a level of 143mg of alcohol to 100ml of blood. The legal limit before prosecution in court is 80mg.
Mr Dyhrberg said Wagener was distressed to be facing the prosecution.
The couple had parked their campervan in a residential street in Hokitika before going to the festival, and planned to sleep in it overnight after the festival.
After going to the festival they returned to the van at midnight where they were met by a resident who objected to where they had parked the van and insisted they move it further along the street where it would cause no bother.
Wagener reluctantly decided she would move the vehicle about 30m and the police had caught her while she was doing that.
Mr Dyhrberg said she had been driving in the United States since she was aged 16 and had a clear record.
Prosecutor Sergeant Neil Williams said the police did not accept that the explanation amounted to special reasons and Wagener should be treated like every other driver.
Judge Blaikie told the woman: “It is not the drinking that’s against the law. It’s the driving and driving. That applies in the United States as well as here.”
Category: News
Subscribe
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
Connect
Connect with us via: