Parolee Peter Coulsen jailed after drug-impaired crash in Nelson
Thursday 24 September 2026 · 2 outlets · 2 reports · updated 
Peter Coulsen has been returned to prison following a crash while on parole. Although Coulsen claimed he crashed while avoiding a rabbit, he was driving while under the influence of methamphetamine and cannabis. The man has a 44-year criminal conviction history.
Key facts
4 facts
- Methamphetamine level of 130ng/ml recorded after crash
- Offences committed while on parole and bail
- Stole a $42,600 Suzuki Jimny from a Blenheim yard
- 44-year criminal conviction history
The full story
1 min read · 2 outlets
Peter Coulsen has been sentenced to 17 and a half months in prison following a series of offences committed while on parole. The 61-year-old was sentenced in the Nelson District Court on 10 charges involving events that began late last year.
The charges included a crash on a Tasman coastal highway around 4am on 20 December last year, where Coulsen rolled his vehicle after failing to negotiate a bend. Coulsen claimed he steered off the road to avoid a rabbit, but Judge Tony Snell did not accept this explanation.
Blood tests taken at Nelson Hospital showed Coulsen had a methamphetamine concentration of 130 nanograms per millilitre, which is more than twice the high-risk level of 50ng/ml. He also had cannabis in his system, though below the high-risk level.
Other charges included stealing a $42,600 Suzuki Jimny from a Blenheim maintenance yard in April and stealing $16 from a Richmond motel. Coulsen also threatened a family member over an inheritance and threatened to burn down a retired volunteer's workshop.
Compiled from reports by NZ Herald and Otago Daily Times.
