Lock him up
Stuff reports:
A recidivist drink-driver who has killed four people in the past has been caught again.
Gavin Hawthorn, 56, who has killed four people on the country’s roads, appeared in Porirua District Court on Tuesday on one charge of excess breath alcohol – third or subsequent offence.
He has already killed four people on the roads, in two separate fatal accidents where he was to blame. He’s still driving drunk, so surely he got a massively long prison sentence to protect the innocent from joining the four already dead?
He was sentenced to six months’ home detention, 180 hours’ community work, and disqualified from holding or obtaining a licence for two years.
That must be a sick joke. He might be out driving while pissed again within days.
Among Hawthorn’s many convictions are 12 for drink-driving, 10 for driving while disqualified, three for dangerous driving, and one for careless driving, as well as others for burglary, theft, drugs and violence.
It must be blindingly obvious he is not going to stop. Maybe we need a three strikes type law for drink driving, something along the lines of a minimum of:
- 1st offence – fine
- 2nd offence – community service
- 3rd offence – home detention
- 4th offence – prison 3 months
- 5th offence – prison 6 months
- 6th offence – prison 1 year
- 7th offence – prison 2 years
- 8th offence – prison 4 years
Most people who drink drive learn from the experience of getting caught and change their behaviour. But those who do not pose a literal threat to innocent life.