A young drink-driver who severely injured his passenger and caused thousands of dollars' worth of damage to two separate businesses has been admonished in Orange Local Court for his "drunken, stupid [and] boorish behaviour".
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Jack Patrick Bruton, 25, of north Orange, had been drinking excessively the night he got in his car and drove to pick up his friend.
At around 10.30pm on December 23, 2020, while driving in a northerly direction on Clergate Road, Bruton's car left the roadway and went into a table drain.
As the Honda Accord left the drain, it became airborne and hit a brick pillar and metal gate at 390 Clergate Road, before also hitting a large boulder.
According to police, the force of the impact caused "total damage" to the Honda as well as all the objects it hit.
Both Bruton and his passenger were able to remove themselves from the crashed car, however as the latter did so he collapsed.
It was later discovered he had a fractured rib and L2 vertebrae.
He also suffered a seatbelt injury with contusions.
Both young men were transported to hospital where Bruton was subjected to mandatory blood and urine tests which subsequently gave a mid-range reading of 0.136.
In Orange Local Court on Monday, Bruton's solicitor Mason Manwaring said it was "by the grace of God" his client wasn't facing a "four to six year jail term for having killed his mate" that night.
According to the motorbike repair shop that owned the gate and pillar, Bruton caused nearly $22,000 in damage when he ploughed into it.
On the same day in court, it was revealed that several months after this incident, Bruton was involved in another offence involving both alcohol and property damage.
On this occasion, Bruton was walking down Summer Street with his partner shortly after 8pm after leaving the Hotel Orange on March 5.
According to police, the couple had become "engaged in a verbal argument" and as Bruton had walked past the Coffee Club, he had used his left foot to kick the bottom glass window, causing it to shatter and crack.
The following day, Bruton had presented himself at Orange Police Station where he admitted to the damage.
Since these incidents, Mr Manwaring said that his client had accepted that "he and alcohol aren't the best of friends".
In the months since his last offence, Mr Manwaring said his client had also started and completed a rehabilitation program. Bruton had also substantially reduced his alcohol consumption and begun an apprenticeship, he said.
Magistrate David Day said it was clear that Bruton had a problem with losing his self control and doing "dangerous, stupid things" whenever he drank to excess.
Mr Day also observed that it must have suddenly dawned on Bruton that he could've killed someone the night he crashed while drink-driving.
For the damage caused to the Coffee Club, Bruton was convicted and fined $550.
For the mid-range drink-driving offence, he was sentenced to an Intensive Corrections Order with supervision for seven months. Part of that will entail rehabilitation for drinking.
Bruton was also disqualified from driving for three months with a mandatory interlock device imposed for 12 months thereafter.
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