A discharge without conviction may be obtained after pleading guilty or being found guilty at trial of a charge, if the consequences of conviction are out of all proportion to the gravity of the offending. The consequences of a conviction are often related to a person’s career, livelihood, immigration status and/or requirement to travel to certain countries.
Listed below are examples of discharges I have obtained recently:
Drink driving clients discharged without conviction:
- October 2023: Chinese national facing risk of deportation – excess breath alcohol 710 µg/L.
- September 2023: Marketing graduate – excess blood alcohol 125 mg/100mL.
- September 2023: Nursing student – excess breath alcohol 481 µg/L.
- July 2023: Banker – excess blood alcohol 179 mg/100mL.
- July 2023: CEO – excess breath alcohol 445 µg/L.
- May 2023: Apprentice electrician – excess breath alcohol 463 µg/L.
- January 2023: Sales manager – excess breath alcohol 1184 µg/L.
- December 2022: Promising young athlete – excess breath alcohol 445 µg/L. As a person under 20, they should have maintained a zero breath alcohol level when driving.
- December 2022: Business development employee – excess breath alcohol 747 µg/L.
- August 2022: Student – excess breath alcohol 510 µg/L and careless operation of a vehicle causing injury.
- July 2022: Aviation student – re excess breath alcohol 582 µg/L.
- July 2022: Client discharged without conviction re excess blood alcohol 109 mg/100mL on basis he faced a real risk of deportation from New Zealand if convicted.
- June 2022: Marine industry employee discharged without conviction re excess breath alcohol 574 µg/L on basis conviction could jeopardise employment and hinder work travel to Canada.
- June 2022: Accounting professional – excess breath alcohol 766 µg/L.
- May 2022: Accounting professional – excess breath alcohol 682 µg/L.
- April 2022: Marketing and IT professional – excess breath alcohol 600 µg/L
- March 2022: University lecturer – excess blood alcohol 132 mg/100mL.
- February 2022: High level IT professional – excess breath alcohol 574 µg/L.
- August 2021: Teacher – excess breath alcohol 574 µg/L.
- June 2021: University student with ambitions of becoming a professional rugby player — excess breath alcohol level 219 µg/L (person under 20).
- May 2021: Chef facing deportation from New Zealand – excess breath alcohol level 530 µg/L.
- May 2021: Legal professional – excess blood alcohol level 88 mg/100mL.
- May 2021: Real estate professional – excess breath alcohol level 453 µg/L.
- December 2020: Electrician – re excess breath alcohol level 740 µg/L.
- November 2020: Chartered accountant – excess breath alcohol level 992 µg/L.
- October 2020: Maritime industry employee facing job loss and deportation from New Zealand discharged without conviction – excess breath alcohol level 805 µg/L.
- September 2020: Finance industry executive – excess blood alcohol level 92 mg/100mL.
- September 2020: High Court appeal for advertising industry executive who was successfully discharged without conviction – excess breath alcohol level 965 µg/L. Driving disqualification previously imposed in the District Court was also quashed by the High Court.
- July 2020: Recruitment / Human Resources employee – excess blood alcohol level 89 mg/100mL.
- June 2020: Structural engineer facing jeopardy to his career and deportation from New Zealand discharged without conviction – excess breath alcohol level 457 µg/L.
- June 2020: Software specialist – excess breath alcohol level 858 µg/L.
- January 2020: Truck driver with imminent plans to move to Canada discharged without conviction re excess breath alcohol level 1016 µg/L on the basis he would face the real risk of not being able to move to Canada if convicted.
- November 2019: Recent accounting graduate – excess breath alcohol level 480 µg/L and careless operation of a vehicle following a collision with another vehicle. Discharge without conviction obtained in relation to the drink driving charge. Negotiations with police resulted in the careless operation charge being withdrawn and no conviction entered.
- October 2019: IT professional – excess breath alcohol level 986 µg/L.
- June 2019: Alcohol and hospitality industry employee – excess breath alcohol level 454 µg/L.
- March 2019: Registered nurse – excess breath alcohol level 1037 µg/L.
- March 2019: Sales rep. – excess blood alcohol level 123 mg/100mL.
- High ranking officer in the New Zealand Army – excess breath alcohol charge.
- Two airline pilots – high level drink driving charges.
- Aviation student – excess blood alcohol level of 164 mg/100mL.
- Two flight attendants – drink driving charges.
- Trainee pharmacist – excess breath alcohol charge.
Other Land Transport Act charges:
- June 2021: University student studying to become a social worker discharged without conviction re careless driving causing injury charge.
- June 2020: Marketing graduate discharged without conviction re sustained loss of traction charge.
- May 2019: Recruitment agent discharged without conviction re careless driving causing injury charge.
- April 2019: Law student discharged without conviction re careless driving causing injury charge.
- April 2019: Entrepreneur with requirement to travel to Canada discharged without conviction re dangerous speed charge; 226 kph in a 100 kph area.
- Entrepreneur with requirement to travel to Canada discharged without conviction re careless driving causing injury charge.
- Student teacher discharged without conviction re driving while disqualified.
- Cleaning franchise owner discharged without conviction re driving while suspended.