When police pulled over a man with a history of drink driving, he told them it didn't matter if he was caught again because his lawyer would get him off any charges. 

"I like to drink. I've been doing it for years. It doesn't matter as my lawyer will get me off," Richard Flintoft told police when he was stopped on the evening of December 11. 

The Motueka builder today admitted in the Nelson District Court a charge of driving with 974 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath – almost four times the legal limit. It broke a dry run for the repeat drink-driver, whose last offence was almost 25 years ago. 

A Motueka builder caught drink driving again said his lawyer would get him off the charge. Photo / 123RF 

His lawyer Mark Dollimore said Flintoft's explanation was that he was "burnt out" from his work as a builder, and from not having seen his daughter in some time. 

"It was an accumulation of matters that led to the meltdown," Dollimore said. 

In answer to a question from Judge Jo Rielly about why Flintoft had said what he did, Dollimore said he knew it was frivolous, but that it had occurred as a result of "banter with the police". 

"They were getting on well and somehow it ended up in the summary," Dollimore said. 

Flintoft was convicted and fined $1000, and disqualified from driving for 28 days under an alcohol interlock disqualification order. 

Judge Rielly told him it did not mean he could simply drive again after 28 days, but that he remained disqualified until he applied for, and obtained an alcohol interlock licence. 

"It's unfortunate you're before the court because you haven't been for almost 25 years. This is your third or subsequent offence, but not for a long time. 

"I do however have to treat this as more serious than if it was a first offence," Judge Rielly told Flintoft. 

- by Tracy Neal, Open Justice