Feausi Kirisome was arrested moments later and charged with high-range drink-driving.

He appeared in Orange Local Court on Thursday. 

Police facts said, on November 11, officers were at the location due to another incident and approached the car and asked Kirisome to open the window. 

The 30-year-old struggled and after several unsuccessful attempts, he opened the door. 

But despite moving into the passenger seat, he admitted that he drove the car.

“Yeah, it’s my car, I drove from a friend’s house and stopped here,” he told them. 

He said he left his friend’s house and pulled over because he saw the police cars and moved into the passenger seat, but he left his thongs in the foot well of the driver’s seat. 

He was breath tested at 10.29pm and returned a blood-alcohol reading of 0.161. 

He had consumed eight small beers. 

The Margaret Street resident appeared unrepresented in front of the magistrate, Terry Lucas, and pleaded guilty.

“I wasn’t thinking straight about what I was going to do,” he said.

“I didn’t want to leave my car in case someone broke into my car.”

Mr Lucas fined Kirisome $1600 and disqualified him from driving for 12 months. 

“You shouldn’t have been driving, your car might be important, but other people are important,” Mr Lucas said. 

“I must warn you, do not drive because if you do you seriously risk going to jail.”