JASON Argent knew police had hit the jackpot when they pulled him up for a random breath test.
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He knew he had been to Orange Local Court only three and a half months earlier for a mid-range drink-driving offence and had his licence suspended.
“You’ve got me, you’re going to arrest me,” he told officers because he knew he would be over the limit.
Argent’s solicitor Paul Longhurst told the court his client had recently split from a “tumultuous relationship” and Argent had started seeing a therapist to help him address his problems.
“He appreciated the seriousness of his predicament,” he said.
“He has great insight into his problem.”
Mr Longhurst said the 40-year-old of Sampson Street had two children and was an extremely talented musician who had been fully co-operative with police upon his arrest.
On Saturday, January 18 at 1.20am police stopped Argent for a random breath test which returned a positive result.
He was taken back to Orange police station and recorded a blood-alcohol reading of 0.128.
He told police he had drank five full strength Tooheys longneck bottles between 11.30pm the night before and 1am, 20 minutes before his arrest.
Police said he appeared to be moderately to well-affected by alcohol and had bloodshot eyes.
His licence was suspended until March 20, 2014.
Magistrate, Terry Lucas, said Argent was lucky Longhurst had convinced him not to send him to jail.
He fined him $2000 and sentenced him to a 12 month suspended sentence and 12 months’ disqualification of his licence.