Mt Maunganui man blows 1440 in breath test

A 40 year old Planner from Mt Maunganui returned a breath test reading of 1440 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath this morning after concerned members of the public called Police due to the manner of his driving.

Senior Sergeant Glenn Saunders said, "It is appalling that this motorist drove a vehicle in such a grossly intoxicated state, this is three and half times the legal limit to drive. It astounds me how the man managed to coordinate himself to drive while so drunk."

"It was 9.30 on the Saturday morning of a long weekend, it was raining and this man drove along one of the busiest roads in the Area, past the Harbourside Netball Courts and nearby Blake Park where literally hundreds of children and their supporters gather for weekend junior sport. This was an absolute recipe for disaster," said Senior Sergeant Saunders.

The man was released to appear in the Tauranga District Court next week.