A French tourist who allegedly attempted to blame police
after being caught drink-driving on January 1 has been
remanded without plea until January 28 to apply for legal
aid.
Susie Suptille (30), a cleaner, failed to appear in the
Queenstown District Court before Judge Kevin Phillips
yesterday morning, resulting in a warrant for her arrest
being issued.
However, after a morning adjournment Suptille presented
herself at the court, saying she had ''slept in'' after
working late on Sunday night.
The French national faces three charges - dangerous driving,
drink-driving with a breath-alcohol level of 765mcg, and
refusing to accompany an enforcement officer without delay -
after crashing into an oncoming taxi on January 1.
Duty solicitor Steve Turner sought a remand for Suptille to
make the legal-aid application, given the ''number of
aggravating factors''.
Following her arrest, Senior Constable Chris Blackford told
the Otago Daily Times Suptille was driving on the
wrong side of the road at 4.40am on January 1, and collided
head-on with the taxi.
No-one was injured.
It was alleged following the incident Suptille claimed to be
adhering to French road rules and since New Zealand
authorities had permitted her to drive, they should take some
responsibility.
In court yesterday, Judge Phillips said he was ''not
impressed by this woman at all'', particularly given the
media publicity over her comment regarding ''whose fault it
was''.
''It appears to me there's an attitude of arrogance and,
again, an inability to understand the basic New Zealand
law.''
Judge Phillips cancelled her warrant and granted the remand,
with police in possession of her passport.
Suptille was one of nine drink-drivers dealt with by Judge
Phillips yesterday, of whom six were foreign nationals.
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