A driver who police found crashed in a ditch on Clergate Road had been disqualified from driving since March and had a illicit drug on his passenger seat.
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Police had been responding to a call-out shortly after 9am on Thursday, June 4, when they found a Nissan ute stuck in an embankment.
Tony Mark Murray, 38, of Currong Crescent, was in the driver's seat trying in vain to dislodge the ute.
"The vehicle was unable to move as it was in an embankment to the easterly side of Clergate Road," police stated in documents which were tendered to court.
"Despite this, the accused continually attempted to start the vehicle to move it out of the embankment."
As officers observed the scene, they established that the "vehicle's prior route" appeared "well off the road surface" before it had crashed into the ditch.
Murray's explanation for how he managed to crash was "extremely unclear", police added.
Upon being questioned, the accused told police "there could be" knives in the vehicle. He also admitted to being a methamphetamine user.
This admission prompted officers to search his ute, whereupon they found a bag containing 0.4 grams of a crystal substance in a jacket that was on the passenger seat.
Murray said it was "jump", telling police that "you mix it into the real stuff". He didn't believe it was an active drug.
The substance subsequently tested positive for meth.
Records also revealed that Murray was disqualified from driving until August.
Murray failed to appear in Orange Local Court on Monday so was convicted in absence for driving without a licence and for being in possession of an illicit drug.
A warrant for Murray's arrest was also issued by magistrate David Day for other offences before court.
In sentencing Murray for the driving offence, Mr Day said he couldn't escape a conviction because he had an "extremely long and varied record in general" and for driving "unauthorised" on a previous occasion.
For the repeat offence of driving while disqualified, Murray was disqualified for another nine months and fined $550. For possessing a prohibited drug, he was convicted and fined $220.
Murray will face Orange Local Court for the other matters at a later date.
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