DIESEL mechanic Benjamin Gray was told he should have listened to staff of a local hotel when he was asked to leave because due to his level of intoxication.
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Instead, the 27-year-old walked away from Orange Local Court yesterday with fines totalling $1300.
Gray, who pleaded guilty to the charges of resisting an officer in the execution of his duty, and being an excluded person remaining in the vicinity of licensed premises, represented himself in court.
He told the magistrate, Terry Lucas he had only had one drink at the hotel prior to being charged by police.
“I don’t believe I was intoxicated,” Gray said.
“They (the hotel staff) shouldn’t have served me if they thought I was intoxicated.”
However, Mr Lucas told Gray the word of hotel staff in asking a patron to leave is final.
“When hotel staff tell you to leave a premises there are no if’s and butts,” he said.
“There should be no argument.
“If this happens again, just put your hat on and leave.”
He said he had an option to send Gray to jail for two years.
Police say Gray was intoxicated, violent and quarrelsome when they saw him arguing with a security guard outside the hotel as they conducted a patrol early on of April 4.
Police say they approached Gray and a male friend, who were standing about an arm’s length from the security guard, as they feared a violent confrontation was imminent.
Police said Gray’s male friend tried to pull him away from the situation and the pair walked across the road towards the taxi rank, however, when they reached the median strip, Gray walked back towards the hotel.
“Oh look it took three cops to get me to go,” Gray said to police.
“What the f....are you going to do,” he said to police.
Gray was fined $800 on the charge of resisting police and $500 on the charge of not leaving the vicinity of the hotel when requested.