A Taranaki woman who crashed her vehicle soon after taking methadone, paralysing her boyfriend, has been sentenced to community work.
Judge John Cadenhead ruled in New Plymouth District Court that the drug did not contribute to the accident.
Leanne Dorn, 27, hit a milk delivery truck in January when she fell asleep soon after taking her daily dose of methadone, which is used to treat heroin addiction.
Her boyfriend was paralysed from the chest down and will remain in the Burwood spinal unit in until at least the end of the year.
Dorn was sentenced to 100 hours of community work and disqualified from driving for nine months.
The court was told there were two fatal crashes involving drivers on methadone in Taranaki within a fortnight of the crash.
