Two a penny

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A senior police officer has failed in a bid to be discharged without conviction after he drove home “grossly” drunk from a police bar.

Detective Sergeant John Gualter, an instructor at the Royal New Zealand Police College in Porirua, earlier pleaded guilty to drink-driving and dangerous driving.

This afternoon, through his lawyer, he sought a discharge without conviction in Porirua District Court.

She said she did not consider a conviction would necessarily see the end of Gualter’s career.

But Judge June Johnston rejected the discharge application.”

Gualter was disqualified from driving for nine months and fined $1800 plus court costs.

“In my view the police will be in a better position to assess your ongoing employment than this court.

He will now face an employment investigation. His breath-alcohol reading of 1039 micrograms was more than 2½ times the legal limit of 400mcg.

Gualter was stopped by police close to his home in Linden, north Wellington, after 10pm on November 14.

Members of the public saw Gualter join State Highway 1 north of Porirua and weave back and forth across all three lanes.

The previously published details from the police statement of facts describing the incident.

During the journey, his car was seen straddling lanes, swerving to miss a pedestrian-crossing pole and a power pole, mounting footpaths, driving “completely on the incorrect side of a road” and narrowly missing moving cars. They rang police and followed him as he drove into Porirua and on to Linden.

“When he got out of his vehicle he was so grossly intoxicated that he was unsteady on his feet, his eyes were glazed and bloodshot, and his speech was slurred, and he had to lean on the vehicle to support himself,” the police summary said.

“When he got out of his vehicle he was so grossly intoxicated that he was unsteady on his feet, his eyes were glazed and bloodshot, and his speech was slurred, and he had to lean on the vehicle to support himself,” the police summary said

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Police handling of the search of the house in Christchurch where the bodies of two murdered women were found has been slammed by Maori Party MP Rahui Katene.

The MP for Tai Tonga is critical of the way police treated the family living next door to the “murder house” in the Christchurch suburb of Wainoni. .

“I just don’t think it’s good enough that the family living in the other half of the semi-detached house in Christchurch had to learn through the media that there was a murder investigation going on next door. Their children – and the parents too – don’t want to go back there again.

“This family has been severely traumatised by what has happened right next door to them.”

Ms Katene said she would take the matter up with senior police in Wellington. And I’m appalled that the police have suggested that they can move back in again.

“As a local ratepayer I support the move and encourage the council to pull it down and turn the site into something useful for the community.

But she applauded efforts by Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker to get council to consider buying the house.”

The bodies of 28-year-old Tisha Lowry and the 35-year-old wife of the man charged with her murder were recovered from beneath the house this week. I hope he doesn’t take notice of the people complaining about that move.

Neither can be named due to suppression orders.

The 33-year-old man who lived at the house has been charged with his wife’s murder and is expected to face a second murder charge when he appears in Christchurch District Court on Friday.