A YOUNG father has lost his license for nine months in Orange Local Court after he was caught drink-driving when he crashed his car into a power pole with his two-year-old son in the car.
A YOUNG father has lost his license for nine months in Orange Local Court after he was caught drink-driving when he crashed his car into a power pole with his two-year-old son in the car.
Jomon Mathew, 33, born in India, moved his family to Orange a few months ago after living in Ireland.
His solicitor Mason Manwaring told the court his client was extremely contrite about his actions on the night he crashed his uninsured Toyota Corolla into a power pole near the intersection of Gardiner Road and Hill Street.
Mr Manwaring said his client was a hard working man who was employed as a carer at Wontama.
His wife is an intensive care nurse who needed to be driven to and from work as she didn’t have a licence, Mr Wanwaring told the court.
He asked relieving magistrate Michael Allen to take into consideration the fact his client was now faced with a significant bill as the uninsured vehicle he was driving was extensively damaged and there would be repair costs associated with damage to the power pole.
“Essentially his vehicle is a write off and he now carries that debt of $24,000 and every day he says he is reminded of his actions on that night,” Mr Manwaaring said.
“My client is under no illusion that he could have been facing a more serious charge of grevious bodily harm,” Mr Manwaring said.
Mr Allen told Mr Mathew his blood alcohol reading when he crashed on August 25 at 11.45pm was in the higher category of mid range.
“You placed your child in significant danger by drinking and driving,” he told Mathew.
Mr Allen told Mathew he had taken into consideration the financial impact of the crash on the defendant’s family in imposing a disqualification of nine months from the date of the driving offence on August 25.
He reduced the maximum fine to $600 with $83 in court courts, telling the defendant he had to pay the fine within 28 days or make alternative arrangements with the court.