December 09, 2008

Woman's driving 'endangered many road users'

A Leithfield woman?s driving was described as shameful by her lawyer, and her behaviour was termed disgraceful by the judge who sentenced her.

She was drunk, disqualified from driving, and driving recklessly as she headed north from Amberley for 20km along State Highway 1.

When she was stopped her behaviour was aggressive and she abused the police and repeatedly spat while she was transported to the Rangiora Police Station.

Erin Maree Smyth, 32, and unemployed, had pleaded guilty to the charges of driving with excess breath-alcohol, reckless driving, driving while disqualified, assaulting a constable in the execution of his duty, and failing to stop for a pursuing police car using its lights and siren.

Defence counsel Elizabeth Bulger urged a sentence of intensive supervision that would allow Smyth to undergo rehabilitation for the alcohol addiction which had brought about her fourth drink-driving conviction.

She said: ?There is no doubt this was an appalling and shameful piece of driving over an extended period, an extended distance, and a significant number of road users were endangered. She expresses her relief that no-one was hurt during the course of the incident.?

She had struggled with her addiction over a long period.

But Judge Holderness said the offending warranted home detention, which could also accommodate rehabilitation, including a residential treatment programme.

He said her reading had been 1086mcg of alcohol to a litre of breath, when the legal limit is 400mcg.

She had been pursued by the police because they were gravely concerned about the safety of other road users, particularly those in on-coming vehicles while Smyth was weaving all over the road.

The chase was given up, but resumed later. ?When you were eventually stopped your behaviour was disgraceful towards the police officers. You were aggressive, and frankly it seems you were out of control, swearing and abusing the officers.?

He sentenced her to nine months home detention with a special condition to undertake treatment, and warned her: ?Don?t come back to court following any further offending of this sort. If you do, you will be going to prison for a significant length of time.?