A MEMBER of the public tipped off police about a man who was driving with a prescribed concentration of alcohol more than four times over the legal limit.
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Brian Mathew Clarke, of Todd Place, had previously spent two and half years in jail for aggravated dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, had previous drink driving offences and had committed a string of traffic infringements, which resulted in a habitual offenders status being slapped on him in 2004.
Clarke, 41, pleaded guilty in Orange Local Court for driving with a blood-alcohol reading of 0.225, but has not yet been sentenced.
At 2.45am on Saturday, November 30, police received a phone call about a man at the BP service station in Summer Street, who the informant believed to be drunk.
Police showed up and pulled Clarke over just as he was leaving the driveway of the petrol station.
Clarke had trouble finding his licence in his wallet when police asked him for it and officers said he had a great deal of trouble speaking clearly.
Police attempted to breath test Clarke, but he said he could notparticpate because he had “mouth alcohol”.
He then produced a bottle of beer he had been drinking in the car, which was one-third full.
“I’m gunna have a high reading because ... I just had a sip,” he said.
Police waited for 10 minutes before subjecting Clarke to a roadside breath test, which was positive.
“Yeah, I had a few,” he said
Clarke told police he had consumed three or four stubbies and a longneck bottle of Tooheys New.
He said he had started drinking at 5pm the previous day.
Police said Clarke had bloodshot eyes and officers could smell alcohol coming from the car.