A driver who caught police attention when he did a burn-out and then drifted around a roundabout, was sentenced in court for high-range drink driving on Monday.
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Michael Anthony Glohe, 25, of Don Peters Drive, Clifton Grove, appeared in Orange Local Court where he had pleaded guilty to three charges including high-range drink driving with a reading of 0.157.
Magistrate Clare Farnan gave Glohe a 12-month suspended jail sentence, disqualified his driver’s licence for six months and ordered him to have an interlock device fitted to his car once he gets his licence back.
“It’s always hard to sentence someone who has full-time employment who needs to stay out of jail to keep that full-time employment,” Ms Farnan said.
She said when she initially saw his record she thought jail was the only option, however the positive information in the Magistrates’ Early Referral into Treatment report changed her mind.
“You are a young man who shouldn’t have been driving because you were a P-plater with a 0 blood alcohol limit,” she said.
“You have another matter on your record for a similar offence.
“If you don’t install an interlock device, your licence will be disqualified for three years.”
Ms Farnan also fined him $500 for the burnout at the Kite Street and Peisley Street roundabout and she fined him $200 for not having P-plates on his car.
According to the facts, police were patrolling Kite Street when they saw a yellow Holden SS ute do a burn-out and fishtail with smoke coming from its tyres at 1.35am.
The ute then travelled sideways around the roundabout and started driving north on Peisley Street before the police stopped it in Endsleigh Street.
Police said Glohe got out of the car and approached them and said, “you’ve got me, I’m DUI, I’m gone”.
He tested positive to a breath test and was taken to Orange Police Station for breath analysis, which returned a reading of 0.157.
Glohe was represented by solicitor Paul Longhurst who said his client had participated in the Magistrates’ Early Referral into Treatment scheme and a traffic offenders course.
“There’s no dispute with the police facts, they are quite colourful,” Mr Longhurst said.
“He’s now realised he’s got a problem and he’s doing something to try and address those problems.”