Harbour Bridge
Cassidy Johnstone Harbour Bridge
On 18 January 2020, Cassidy Ellen Johnstone led a high-speed chase over Auckland’s Harbour Bridge, with alcohol and MDMA use proven in the High Court (Johnstone v Police [2023] NZHC 1660).
Skim the record
Court-proven facts at a glance
- Blood alcohol182 mg / 100 mlOver twice the 80 mg legal limit
- MDMAPresent in bloodClass B drug · court-proven
- Harbour Bridge~180 km/hChase, crash, injured passengers
- ConvictionUpheld on appealJohnstone v Police [2023] NZHC 1660
Proven in court: alcohol and drugs
The High Court judgment is clear. Cassidy Ellen Johnstone was heavily under the influence of alcohol and the Class B drug MDMA (ecstasy). A blood sample recorded 182 mg of alcohol per 100 ml of blood against a legal limit of 80 mg, more than twice the limit, and the sample also contained MDMA. She pleaded guilty to causing injury while under the influence of drink and/or a drug. That is court-proven fact, not an unverified claim.
What happened
Around 5am on 18 January 2020, while intoxicated as proven above, she drove at extreme speeds on Auckland’s Northern Motorway, including approximately 175 to 180 km/h over the Harbour Bridge. She failed to stop for police, crashed on an off-ramp, and two passengers suffered serious long-term injuries. At the scene she smelled of alcohol and denied being the driver.
Conviction and failed appeal
She pleaded guilty to the drink/drug injury charges and reckless driving, and was sentenced to community detention, supervision, reparation, and disqualification. She later asked the High Court to discharge the conviction for career/travel reasons (including cybersecurity prospects). The appeal was dismissed; the sentence was described as “generous.” For the legal outcome in isolation, see Cassidy Johnstone conviction and Johnstone v Police.
Primary sources: full judgment, PDF, Stuff report, and the case summary.