A drink-driving Swedish national will have to pay fines of $1300 and a $2000 payment to the victim of his crash on the Akaroa Highway before he leaves New Zealand.
John Svanberg, 22, from Skogas in Sweden, pleaded guilty in the Christchurch District Court to charges of drink-driving and causing injury to a woman by careless driving.
He had been holidaying in New Zealand for only five days when the accident happened last week.
Police prosecutor Acting Sergeant Michael Tuialii said Svanberg's car crossed the centre-line at Robinsons Bay at 7am on December 29, and crashed into an on-coming car.
He was found to have a level of 841mcg of alcohol to a litre of breath, when the legal limit is 400mcg. He said he had been drinking beer and champagne until 3am.
Defence counsel Sue McCormack said Svanberg had been at a wedding the night before. He had driven after sleeping and having breakfast.
She said he was remorseful and had apologised straight away to the woman in the other car. According to police the woman received back and shoulder injuries.
Svanberg's case was interrupted by a bomb scare at the courts on Tuesday, but he was back before Judge Brian Callaghan today to be fined a total of $1300 and ordered to pay $2000 immediately to the woman as emotional harm reparations.
He was also disqualified from driving for a year.
Miss McCormack said Svanberg would borrow the money from his parents to make the payment. He was due to leave the country soon.
