An Auckland officer who was caught drink-driving then snuck into a police station to destroy his own evidential blood samples has been sentenced to eight months home detention.

Bo Wang, 33, was a police officer of four years’ experience, who earlier worked in a drink-driving prevention team.

He has now resigned from the police and has found new employment, his lawyer Todd Simmonds told Judge Maria Pecotic at Wang’s sentencing at the Waitākere District Court on Friday morning.

Early in the court process he admitted charges of burglary and wilfully attempting to pervert the course of justice following what Simmonds described as “brain explosion” after he was caught drink-driving in central Auckland following a visit to a Karaoke bar on July 24.

He used a colleague’s swipe card to access the Harbour Bridge police station to burgle his blood samples then take them home and tip them down the toilet, meaning drink-driving charges could not be brought against him.

Judge Pecotic sentenced Wang to eight months home detention, taking into account his early guilty plea and letters of support for his good character.

“I accept that you panicked and your actions clearly show this. I also accept that this offending was completely out of character for you, and the consequences you have suffered as a result”

Wang sought ongoing interim name suppression at a hearing before Judge Maria Pecotic at the Waitākere District Court in September.

He argued via Simmonds he needed time to inform some family and friends of the case, especially his elderly mother who he said would be distressed and devastated by the news.

However, Judge Pecotic said Wang had already been given an indulgence by the court after earlier successful applications for interim suppression.

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“The principle of open justice is important,” Judge Pecotic said.

Police were neutral on his application for ongoing suppression.

Wang will be sentenced next month.

Shortly after midnight on July 24, the police officer of four years’ experience was driving an Audi hatchback on Quay St in the central city, according to a police summary of facts released to the Herald.

He came upon a breath-testing checkpoint where he blew 501 micrograms of alcohol per litre of breath, double the legal limit.

He gave an evidential blood sample and was forbidden to drive for 12 hours by a constable.

A friend then drove him home to West Auckland.

Having previously worked with an Impairment Prevention Team based at the Harbour Bridge patrol base on the North Shore, Wang knew exactly where his blood samples would be kept.

He travelled to the station to retrieve and destroy the samples.

On his way, he pulled over and donned a police uniform, the summary of facts said.

At the main gate, his electronic swipe card failed as he no longer required access to the station.

Undeterred, he drove to a colleague’s home where he obtained a valid swipe card, eventually gaining access to the station at 4.17am.

He made his way to the area where blood samples were stored and worked out which were his.

He took his samples home in a courier package and poured two vials of blood down the toilet, destroying the evidence against him.

In doing so, he traded an offence carrying a maximum prison term of three months or a $4500 fine for the crimes of burglary and perverting the course of justice, with possible terms of 10 and seven years respectively.

Wang told police he did it because he “felt ashamed for having driven with excess alcohol and he had dishonoured himself”, the summary said.

“He had been drinking alcohol and acted without thinking.”

He pleaded guilty early in the court process to perverting the course of justice, burglary and driving while forbidden. He faces up to 10 years in prison on the burglary charge and seven for perverting justice.

He has been stood down and an employment process is underway, a police spokesman said.