A MAN who drunkenly drove to the police station to offer assistance to his son, who had just been arrested for drink-driving, was fined $1500 and disqualified from driving for nine months in Orange Local Court on Thursday.
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Geoffrey Noel Cusack travelled from Foster to attend his nephew’s 21st birthday party on March 28.
His solicitor Rebecca McIlveen said Cusack had been a passenger in his son’s car when his son was pulled over by police and arrested for being over the legal blood-alcohol limit.
She said Cusack then jumped in the driver’s seat and drove to Orange police station in a bid to help his son.
“It’s an extraordinary incident ... he was stupid,” she said.
At 12.20am on March 29, Cusack parked the car at the front of the station in an area reserved for police vehicles, so he thought he should move the car in case he was fined, Ms McIlveen said.
Police facts said officers saw him leave the station. They could smell alcohol on him so they went after him to confiscate his keys, however, they were too late as he had already driven off.
Officers watched him park his car at the front of PeeWees in Byng Street, at which point they arrested him.
The police facts said he was unsteady on his feet, his eyes were bloodshot and his face was flushed.
The 40-year-old recorded a blood-alcohol reading of 0.120, more than double the legal limit.
He was charged with mid-range drink-driving.
Ms McIlveen argued her client should be given a good behaviour bond because he lived in a regional area and relied on his licence for his livelihood.
“He was intoxicated and concerned for his son,” she said.
“That set of circumstances, it is highly unlikely to occur again in anyone’s life.”
She said her client had been a labourer for years and suffered a back injury.
He had been waiting in Orange for his legal proceeding to finish because he had no transport to get to and from Foster.
Mr Lucas said he could not give Cusack a bond because he had a previous drink driving conviction in 1991.