A Queenstown man claimed he had not been driving after he recorded a breath-alcohol level five times the legal limit, a court has heard.
Police found Ramit Rikhi, 33, sitting in his car with the engine running in Ashenhurst Way, Shotover Country, on April 12.
After recording a breath-alcohol reading of 1289mcg, he told officers he had only come out of his house "for a smoke", police say.
However, his antics over the previous 20 minutes had already prompted two members of the public to raise the alarm.
The first witness called police at 8.10pm to say a man was sitting in his car outside a property in Frankton Rd "shirtless, looking drunk and about to drive".
While the witness was still on the phone, the man drove off and turned into McBride St.
When a second member of the public called to complain about Rikhi’s driving, police went to his address.
Noting the defendant had not previously offended during his decade of living in New Zealand, community magistrate Sarah Steele said it was a "fairly dramatic way to bring yourself to police attention".
Counsel Bryony Shackell said the defendant had not drunk alcohol since the incident.
Rikhi, who was one of a dozen people convicted yesterday in the resort’s court of drink-driving, was fined $645 with court costs of $143.
After a stand-down period of 28 days, he must apply for an alcohol interlock licence and have the device fitted to his vehicle.
After the minimum 12-month interlock period, he will be subject to a zero-alcohol licence for three years.
