Magistrate Terry Lucas told a man who appeared before him on a high-range drink driving charge on Monday to expect to be pulled over if he is driving at 1.35am.
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“You might have just had a light up saying ‘stop me’,” Mr Lucas said.
Joshua Daniel Nagle, 21, of Benview Avenue, was caught by police with a high-range blood alcohol reading of 0.154 on the Princess Highway at Fairy Meadow on March 18.
Nagle was fined $1600 and given a six-month backdated driving disqualification, as well as a 24-month interlock period.
He was represented in court by solicitor Mick Madden.
“He attempted to get a cab and it was busy and raining and he made the wrong decision in regard to his driving,” Mr Madden said.
“It’s the lowest level high range could be.”
Mr Madden said because his client’s driver’s licence was suspended when he was caught drink driving, his carpentry apprenticeship was also suspended.
Nagle came to police attention when he drove through a red light at the intersection of Bourke and Flinders streets in North Wollongong.
Police followed him and saw him almost crash into a roundabout at the intersection of Old Mount Ousley Road and the Princess Highway, so they pulled him over.
UTE FLIPPED OVER AT ROUNDABOUT
A MAN whose table-top ute flipped onto its side when he hit the gutter at an Anson Street roundabout has been sentenced in court for mid-range drink driving.
Aaron David Jones, 40, of Cypress Street, was given a 10-month suspended jail sentence, disqualified from driving for six months – backdated to January 9 – and was placed on a 24-month interlock.
According to police facts, Jones had been driving south on Anson Street with a female passenger on November 25 when he turned sharply at the roundabout intersecting with Gardiner Road.
His vehicle hit the gutter and flipped, but neither Jones nor his passenger were injured.
A witness phoned police and Jones was arrested following a positive breath test and further analysis which gave him a mid-range reading of 0.111.
Jones was represented in court by solicitor Tim Dalla.
“He has six prior matters of a similar nature and this is the second in five years of a mid-range,” Mr Dalla said.
“The offences are admitted and he is on the record.”
Mr Dalla said Jones has sought help for his drinking and attended the Magistrates Early Referral Into Treatment program three times.
“One time he was dry for nine months. He keeps trying to do the right thing but he does have a problem with alcohol,” he said.