An after-match drinking session ended with an Arrowtown Bulls player crashing his father’s car and injuring a lifelong friend.

Alesana Tulafono, 23, of Frankton, was driving on Malaghans Rd on the night of May 17 when he smashed into the barrier on the left-hand side of the road, bounced off and came to a stop straddling both lanes.

One of his passengers — a friend since childhood — suffered a concussion and a head laceration in the impact, and his father’s unregistered and unwarranted Honda Fit was written off.

When police arrived at the scene, Tulafono blew 926mcg, nearly four times the legal limit.

At his sentencing in Queenstown’s court this week on charges of drink-driving causing injury and careless driving, defence counsel DeAnne Nicoloso said he had been caught up in the “big drinking culture of the after-match”.

He had since “done everything he can to put this right”, apologising to his friend and offering to pay reparation.

Nicoloso asked Judge Catriona Doyle to impose a community work sentence instead of the community detention recommended by Corrections.

“He knows he’s on thin ice because he was very drunk, the driving was poor and we do have an injury.”

However, he had no previous convictions and the victim was “very positive and supportive” of the defendant and did not want reparation.

A pre-sentence report said Tulafono had strong support from his family and church, and was working hard to complete an apprenticeship.

Doyle said the offending was aggravated by his “very high” alcohol level and the fact he was driving an unwarranted and unregistered car.

From a starting point of 16 months’ prison, she made deductions for his guilty plea, clean criminal record, and the remorse he had expressed to the victim during a restorative justice meeting, to reach a nominal sentence of eight month’s prison.

She converted that to a final sentence of four months’ community detention, which she considered was appropriate to hold him accountable and to “send a message to anyone else who might think it’s okay to have a few drinks after rugby and get into a car and drive”.

Doyle also imposed nine months’ supervision so he could receive any help he needed to make better choices with his use of alcohol and decision-making when with friends.

He is also banned from driving for 12 months.

guy.williams@scene.co.nz

 

Other convictions

  • Kingsford Hamilton, 23, roofer, of Queenstown, possessing cocaine, breaching Search & Surveillance Act, driving while suspended, Middleton Rd, March 26, 70 hours’ community work, 12 months’ supervision.
  • Jamie Kirk Robinson, 28, carpenter, of Auckland, five charges of theft (items valued at $39.44 from New World Queenstown and Pak’nSave Queenstown), August 7-23, 40 hours’ community work.
  • Jemima Margaret Moore, 21, of Fernhill, theft (items valued at $52.97 from Pak’nSave Frankton), August 30; theft (items valued at $260.78 from Pak’nSave Frankton), September 3, convicted and discharged.
  • Lennox Barton Neilson, 19, Australian national, of Queenstown, theft (items valued at $52.97 from Pak’nSave Frankton), August 30; theft (items valued at $260.78 from Pak’nSave Frankton), September 3, convicted and discharged.
  • Jeremy David Eade, 30, plasterer, of Albert Town, assault with a weapon, two charges of threatening language, intentional damage (caravan window), June 4, Queenstown, 12 months’ intensive supervision.
  • Maximilian Kilian Graef, 19, German national, of Albert Town, nine charges of theft (items and fuel valued at $562.56 from New World Wānaka, The Warehouse Wānaka and Caltex Wānaka), September 4-10, convicted and discharged.