A Big Island man was been sentenced to five years in prison for racking up his sixth conviction for drunken driving, prosecutors said.

Pepe'ekeo resident Keith Evans Birchland Sr. asked Hilo Circuit Judge Glenn Hara to sentence him to probation last week, arguing a prison sentence would be a waste of taxpayers' money. Birchland said his previous time in prison didn't help his alcoholism.

Hara refused, saying Birchland needs to go to prison to protect the public.

Birchland's latest conviction for drunken driving was for a crash on Sept. 17, when a vehicle he was driving struck another car that was stopped at a traffic light.