Repeat drink-driving mum of three sent to jail following puff of marijuana to steady nerves

Tuesday, 30 June 2026

Having a smoke of cannabis to steady her nerves prior to a court hearing may have proved a major misjudgement for a habitual drink-driving Hamilton mum.

Shandi Gineah Nahu, 36, was jailed for eight months when she appeared in the Hamilton District Court on Monday.

Nahu had earlier pleaded guilty to charges of driving with excess breath alcohol and driving while disqualified, as well as one charge of breaching the conditions of a supervision sentence.

The two driving charges were laid in what is termed their “aggravated form” - meaning she has already accrued three or more convictions on each charge.

It was just after midnight on Saturday, September 20 last year when Nahu, who was behind the wheel of a Mazda car, was stopped at a police checkpoint on Pukete Rd in Hamilton.

A roadside analysis found she had 519 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath - more than twice the legal driving limit of 250 micrograms.

And Nahu also should’t have been behind the wheel because, on January 21 that year, she had been disqualified from driving for one year and one day.

In court, Nahu’s counsel Maria Young argued to keep her client out of jail - however her client’s actions counted against that.

Nahu had applied to be dealt with under the auspices of the Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Court (AODTC), a Ministry of Justice treatment pathway that includes intensive monitoring, case management, drug testing, and mentoring.

This had included her enrolment in Te Whatu Ora’s Community Alcohol and Drug Service (CADS) - however, it did not go well.

Although some of the specifics of what happened and when were not detailed during Nahu’s sentencing, it was revealed she had been a “chronic” user of cannabis before her entry into the AODTC.

“She became apprehensive about coming into court and used marijuana,” Young said. After she was asked about this and had admitted what she had done, “she was exited from the CADS programme.”

At some point afterwards she had been remanded in custody.

Nahu had desperately wanted to remain within the AODTC, but because she had been unable to remain drug-free she had to be dealt with under normal district court procedures.

“It has been her first experience of being in prison … It has been a difficult time for her,” said Young.

A mother of three, her two youngest children were still dependent on her. Luckily, her ex-partner had been able to step in and take over caring for the youngsters.

“At this time in her life she is more willing and open to receiving the right treatment … [but] in prison the rehabilitative options are limited.”

A pre-sentence report had recommended a prison sentence for Nahu, because she had breached the conditions of community-based sentences in the past.

Judge Denise Clark said it was clear Nahu’s addictions “were in the driver’s seat”.

While Nahu wanted to make positive changes in her life “you have to work really hard at that … I can’t give you a sentence in the community.”

Nahu’s release conditions from prison forbid her from drinking or taking drugs for six months.

As well as the jail term, Judge Clark also disqualified Nahu from driving indefinitely - with a definite finite ban of 12 months.

If she does eventually succeed in applying for a licence again, it will be a “zero alcohol” licence for three years.