It took Peter Robert Nevill 47 years to get his first drink-driving conviction, the Dunedin District Court heard yesterday.
But the 54-year-old managed to pick up his second and third in the space of three hours.
"I was just being cheeky," Nevill told police.
Counsel Kate Logan told the court yesterday her client was "mortified" by the flippant comment.
Nevill’s woes began just after lunch on October 24 last year.
He was driving on State Highway 87, Clarks Junction-Lee Stream Rd, weaving over the centre line to such an extent that other motorists called police.
When breathalysed, Nevill gave a breath-alcohol level of 1363mcg — more than five times the legal limit.
Because of the massive reading, he was immediately suspended for 28 days.
Nevill was returned to his Mosgiel home but before long decided to get behind the wheel again.
Ms Logan said the defendant had a motorcycle on a trailer left at the site where he was first stopped and wanted to go back to secure them.
However, police pulled him over in East Taieri.
This time his breath-alcohol level was 1338mcg.
Ms Logan said Nevill’s excessive alcohol consumption had begun after he experienced pain following an operation.
He was under financial stress and felt under pressure to meet family obligations around the time of the offending, she said.
Community Magistrate Simon Heale asked Nevill how the prosecution had affected his attitude.
"I realised how completely stupid I’ve been with the drinking and how unnecessary it’s been," he said.
"And I guess the big picture is particularly more so ... putting people’s lives in danger."
Nevill told the court he had been to counselling and was now using medication that deterred the consumption of alcohol.
"I hate the expression ‘walk the talk’ but that’s what I want to be doing," he said.
Yesterday’s hearing was dominated by legal argument about Nevill’s driving ban.
Mr Heale said that was primarily because the Land Transport Act had not been formulated with people drink-driving twice in a day in mind.
Nevill was disqualified for 28 days with the alcohol-interlock provisions to follow.
He was sentenced to nine months’ supervision and 80 hours’ community work.
