Drunk woman steal's sober driver's car, leads police on pursuit

A drunk woman took off with her sober driver’s vehicle before leading police on a short pursuit out of Hamilton and almost getting airborne after striking a speed bump.

After stopping, Ashley Waihara White, 24, thrashed around and fought police as they tried to arrest her.

She blew more than three times the legal adult limit and declined to comment when questioned.

White appeared for sentencing in the Hamilton District Court on Tuesday, fighting for a discharge without conviction on five charges: reckless driving, failing to stop, resisting arrest, driving with excess breath alcohol and unlawfully taking a motor vehicle.

At the start of the hearing Judge Kim Saunders asked White’s counsel, Francisco Vitalis, if she had completed a defensive driving course.

She hadn’t.

White knew the victim through other friends. The victim was a sober driver for White, who had been drinking in town throughout the night of October 30 last year.

At 1am the following morning, the pair were in the victim’s car on Collingwood St.

The victim left the car to use the bathroom, leaving White in the passenger seat.

She then climbed into the driver’s seat and took off, heading towards the suburb of Glenview.

Police spotted her “greatly exceeding the speed limit” on Ohaupo Rd, witnessing the vehicle lift off the ground and almost lose control after hitting a speed bump.

White continued speeding towards Te Awamutu but refused to stop for police as she entered a 100km/h zone.

Police caught up with the defendant on Airport Rd, where she was “thrashing and fighting with police” as they arrested her.

She was breathtested and returned a level of 891mcg.

The legal limit is 250mcg.

In pushing the application, Vitalis told the judge a conviction would impact her ability to obtain employment and regain custody of her daughter.

When he tried to explain the circumstances of the offending were due to the trauma of his client losing her mother and partner in recent years, the judge stopped him.

“The circumstances of her offending was that she was way too drunk.

“She took a friend’s car and off she goes,” Judge Saunders said.

“She drives past police. Didn’t even see them.”

Vitalis said she had addressed that behaviour by engaging with Waahi Manaaki, a trust enhancing the wellbeing of whānau in Waikato.

But Judge Saunders pointed to a letter from the organisation, stating White had been inconsistent with her rehabilitation and motivation.

“It’s very hard to see Ms White in the light that you are urging me to do so.”

In her decision, the judge deemed her offending moderately serious and found the consequences of a conviction were “simply speculative at this stage”.

She declined to issue a discharge without conviction, and instead convicted her on all charges.

Judge Saunders sentenced White to 12 months’ intensive supervision and disqualified her from driving for six months, followed by a three-year zero-alcohol licence.

That sentence would also be judicially monitored.

Belinda Feek is an Open Justice reporter based in Waikato. She has worked at NZME for 11 years and has been a journalist for 22.