A Balclutha man who rolled his car into a residential garden claimed he was only behind the wheel because his sober driver had been arrested.
After a night of drinking on December 15, Logan Andrew Pettitt (24) drove off in his Ford Falcon, the Dunedin District Court heard last week.
As the defendant approached a left-hand bend into Cromer St, to the encouragement of his three passengers, Pettitt sharply jerked the steering wheel, causing the car to lose traction and drift around the bend.
As the man attempted to regain control, he over-corrected, causing the car to fishtail.
The car subsequently veered off the road, over the footpath and into a residential property, where it rolled and came to rest on its roof.
When police arrived, Pettitt gave a breath alcohol level of 1015mcg — more than four times the legal limit.
"My concerns here are the high level and the fact that there were passengers. The outcome could have been very different," community magistrate Sally O’Brien told Pettitt.
Pettitt sustained minor bruising and a cut to his head due to the crash and reportedly had no memory of the events.
Counsel Libby Hadlow said the designated sober driver was arrested earlier in the evening on unrelated matters.
Pettitt admitted he "shouldn’t have been driving" when questioned by police, and his car was subsequently written off.
"I hope you realise how lucky you are. I know it doesn’t feel like it as you go through this daunting process, but you are really lucky you didn’t cause more harm," Ms O’Brien said.
Pettitt was disqualified from driving for 28 days and subject to alcohol-interlock provisions.
He was also fined $800 and ordered to pay $150 to cover the damage to the garden.
