Ban for drink-drive counsellor

A Greymouth woman who provided counselling and support for drink-drivers, was herself sentenced yesterday for excess breath-alcohol.

Siahn Michelle Taylor was seen by police drinking outside a Greymouth property on February 19 this year. When she later drove her car 100m up the road, police pulled her over. When breath-tested she blew 545mg.

The 32-year-old told police she had moved her car as she had been asked to take it off the lawn by the landlord.

Lawyer Marcus Zintl asked Judge Stephen O'Driscoll to consider special reasons why Taylor should not be banned from driving, including the short distance she travelled and the minimal danger posed to the public.

Mr Zintl said they were "good reasons" to consider not banning her.

As Taylor was a support person for restorative justice in speaking to and counselling drink-drivers, she had suffered "quite a fall from grace".

Despite her list of previous drink-driving convictions, the last of which was nine years ago, Mr Zintl said she was a "person of good character".

However, the judge said he was surprised Taylor had chosen to drive after drinking, given her role with restorative justice.

"I would have thought that, of all people, you would have been fully aware you should not have got behind the wheel of a car and driven for any distance, because of your previous convictions and because you have been involved in counselling and assisting those who have been involved in drinking and driving," Judge O'Driscoll said.

He accepted Taylor had driven at the request of a third party, and had not driven very far, causing minimal danger to other road users, and she was not seriously impaired at the time of the offending.

However, due to her previous offending he would ban her for the minimum period.

"I have no doubt the ban will cause you hardship, but that is part and parcel of the consequences of your offending," the judge told Taylor.

"If you come back before the court again you may well find yourself back in prison, where you have been before."

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