Alex James Brown Priest, Barry James Hailstone in Orange Local Court for drink driving

Alex James Brown Priest, 19, of McLachland Street, and Barry James Hailstone, 52, of Peach Street, Mandurama, both appeared in Orange Local Court for sentencing.

According to police, officers were patrolling William Street as part of Operation Macquarie Blitz about 10.10pm on November 20, 2021, when they stopped a Toyota HiLux being driven by Brown Priest.

There were two males in the vehicle and police could smell alcohol through the open window.

Brown Priest provided a P2 driver's licence.

When he was asked if he had any alcohol he said he had not but he returned a positive breath test so was arrested and taken to Orange Police Station.

On analysis he returned a mid-range reading of 0.099 and he later said he started drinking at 9am and finished his last drink about 2pm.

Brown Priest was unrepresented in court.

"I was a bit stupid at the time, I didn't really think of my actions, I thought I was fine," he said.

Brown Priest said he drank six Cruisers and went to sleep after his last drink at 2pm.

Barry Hailstone was stopped for a random breath test in Blayney about 10.15am on November 19, 2021.

He also returned a positive result and was taken to Blayney Police Station where he returned a mid-range reading of 0.09.

He said he had 10 schooners of full-strength beer at the Royal Hotel in Mandurama.

The court heard Hailstone had initially walked to the Hotel where he consumed the beer and he walked home again.

However, a friend asked him to drive them to Blayney the next morning.

Magistrate Brian van Zuylen gave both men Intensive Correction Orders.

Mr van Zuylen gave Brown Priest a 12-month ICO, he fined him $900, disqualified his drivers licence for four months and placed him on a 12-month interlock order that will require him to pay to have a device fitted to his vehicle.

"You said you had six Cruisers to 2pm and you had a bit of a sleep, it was a bad decision," he said.

"You are driving a large vehicle, a HiLux, if you crashed into someone think about how their family would feel and how you would."

Mr van Zuylen gave Hailstone a six-month ICO, he also fined him $800, disqualified his driver's licence for three months and he also placed him on a 12-month interlock order. "I regard this as very serious, his fourth drink-driving," Mr van Zuylen said. "People must know that if you drink a lot of alcohol you will be over the next day." Hailstone had previous drink-driving offences in 2001, 2005 and 2012.

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