DANGER TO PEOPLE ON THE ROAD: Glenn Johnson was sentenced to nine months' jail in Orange Local Court yesterday.
A FIFTH drink-driving charge has landed an Orange man behind bars for nine months.
Glenn Johnson, 41, was convicted in Orange Local Court yesterday of riding a motorcycle without a licence on Berrilee Road at Springside on the morning of September 27 last year. He had a blood-alcohol reading of 0.170.
Relieving magistrate Bruce Williams told Johnson his driving record, which included several speeding offences, was deplorable and rejected the accused’s defence that his accident last year was a “one-off”.
“You are a major danger to people on the road and if you continue to drink you will remain a danger to the community,” Mr Williams said.
Johnson’s solicitor Mason Manwaring said the accused had gone on to a property in the area to ride motorbikes after finishing a night shift with colleagues at the nearby mine.
He said his client became disoriented on the property while riding a motorcycle, accidentally driving through a gate which he believed to be an internal gate on the property, and instead finding himself on a public road.
“When he realised he had left the property he panicked and tried to turn around,” Mr Manwaring said.
However, Johnson lost control, crashing the bike and sustaining a serious head injury.
In evidence presented to the court police said when they arrived at the accident site they found Johnson standing in the middle of the road covered in blood.
Police say the accused smelt of alcohol, was slurring his speech and swaying on his feet and became argumentative when they tried to interview him.
Police also said the accused refused to be treated by paramedics for his injuries and instead police transported him to hospital.
Mr Manwaring said his client’s head injury was serious as he sustained bleeding to the brain.
Mr Williams said he could find no special circumstances under existing legislation that could provide an alternative to sentencing Johnson to jail
He was sentenced to nine months’ jail with a four-month non-parole period on the charge of driving with a high range PCA.
On the second charge of driving while disqualified Johnson, who was already on a bond after being disqualified from driving in 2011, was sentenced to two months’ jail.
Both sentences date from February 28.
After Johnson was taken to the cells Mr Manwaring lodged an appeal on behalf of his client to the next sitting of the District Court in Orange.
No application was made for bail.