Drunk driver who crashed into home urinated on breath testing apparatus

A drunk driver in New Zealand who ploughed into an elderly woman's home in Woodend was so intoxicated he urinated in a box of breath screening tubes at the police station. That act earned 26-year-old Christchurch forklift driver Ryan Scott Thompson a charge of wilful damage on top of drink-driving and careless driving counts.

Thompson blew almost three times the breath-alcohol limit after he smashed into Dawn Sanders' living room where she had been sitting moments earlier just after 10pm on July 23. He pleaded guilty to all charges at his first appearance in the district court and was fined and ordered to pay $1500 in "emotional harm'' reparation to Mrs Sanders and $109 to police for the contaminated breath screening tubes.



Neighbours who rushed to Mrs Sanders' aid detained the grossly intoxicated but uninjured Thompson until police arrived. Police said he was unable to walk unaided or coherently answer questions. After recording a breath-alcohol reading of 1137mcg/L at the police station, a police officer was completing paperwork when he heard the sound of running water, according to the summary of facts.

He turned to see Thompson, still seated, urinating into a box of breath screening tubes. Thompson continued urinating despite repeated demands to stop. The 301 contaminated tubes had to be destroyed. Thompson admitted drinking and driving but was unable to offer any explanation. He was taken to Christchurch for detoxification. Judge Graham Hubble disqualified Thompson from driving for nine months on the excess breath-alcohol charge and a concurrent three months on the careless use count. He was fined $200 for wilful damage.