A Cowra man who made the decision to drive after helping celebrate his birthday with a few cans of bourbon has been disqualified from driving, fined and ordered to install an interlock device to his vehicle.
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Jack Edward James McGrath, 19, was stopped by police on Haig Street, Cowra about 2am on August 25 last year.
His breath test returned a positive result, later registering .070, and a check of his licence found it as cancelled.
Defending McGrath’s charges of low range drink driving and driving with a cancelled licence, solicitor Mr Song of the Aboriginal Legal Service told Cowra Local Court his client was celebrating his birthday when he decided to drive to a new location then was pulled over less than two minutes later.
“There’s no excuse for Mr McGrath’s behaviour,” solicitor Mr Song said.
“He doesn’t have access to a vehicle,” he added.
Police facts say McGrath had consumed 10 cans of bourbon between 6pm and 12.30am.
It was McGrath’s second drink driving offence and second offence of driving with a cancelled licence.
A fine of $200 was imposed in relation to each charge while he was also ordered to enter a good behaviour bond for 12 months.
He’ll spend six months disqualified from driving and 12 months with an interlock device installed in when he’s back on the road.
“When you drive with more than the prescribed concentration of alcohol in your blood stream you pose a risk to yourself and others. If your driving privileges are taken away from you they’re taken away from you. Everyone has to earn the privilege to drive on the roadway,” Magistrate Michael O’Brien said.
“If you fail to comply with conditions attached to that privilege then you lose those privileges.”
