Two shots of home-brewed whisky two shots too many
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A GUNNEDAH man caught with a high-range blood-alcohol reading in Taree has barely escaped doing jail time following his court appearance last week.
Guy Hunter, 26, of Elgin Street, appeared before Magistrate Bennett on Tuesday charged with driving with a PCA of .169, driving while disqualified and driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle in Taree in the early hours of December 7.
Gunnedah Local Court was told Hunter’s decision to get behind the wheel after drinking two, seven-ounce glasses of 59 per cent proof home-brewed whisky led to his downfall.
After receiving a tip that Hunter was driving on Manning River Drive, Taree Highway Patrol stopped his Holden Commodore shortly after 1am after it was spotted swerving from side-to-side on the roadway.
The vehicle was also found to have bald rear tyres with the wire exposed.
Hunter declined a blood test.
Magistrate Bennett jailed Hunter for 15 months on the drink-driving conviction but suspended the sentence on him entering a Section 12 bond with orders he accept supervision and guidance from the Probation and Parole Board.
Mr Bennett also took Hunter’s licence for five years.
On the driving matter, he ordered Hunter to perform 400 hours of community service and imposed fines of $750 on each of the remaining two matters.
Canadian Clubs land young motorist before the court
“A COUPLE of Canadian Clubs” has landed a 20-year-old Gunnedah female before the court on a drink-driving charge.
Olivia Jones, 20, of Links Road, pleaded guilty to mid-range PCA after blowing the bag at .086 in Tamworth in the early hours of January 24.
Gunnedah Local Court was told a Tamworth Highway Patrol vehicle had spotted a vehicle in North Tamworth shortly after 2.15am and the officer decided to investigate.
He observed one female get out of the passenger side after the vehicle had braked suddenly.
The officer watched as the vehicle then drove off and after travelling around the block, pulled it over.
Jones was placed on a Section 10, nine-month good behaviour bond with no conviction recorded.
Magistrate Bennett also ordered that a copy of the special conditions requiring Jones to be called before the court if she breached any moving traffic laws, be stapled to the defendant’s licence.
Fridge on tilt an expensive look
A BLOOD-ALCOHOL reading of .091 will see a South Street man kept off the road for 20 months and with an $1800 fine to pay.
Fifty-two-year-old Neil Sutcliffe’s problems began on the morning of January 4 when he decided to move a refrigerator in his utility.
Police officers noticed the fridge on a dangerous tilt in the back of Sutcliffe’s Mitsubishi Triton single cab ute shortly after 11am and pulled the vehicle over.
After detecting the odour of alcohol, Sutcliffe was breath-tested and he returned a mid-range reading.
Stones not sand at Nevertire beach party
PERFORMING wheelies and burnouts at the Nevertire Beach Party has proven an expensive exercise for a young Gunnedah motorist.
Harry Michel, 21, of Beulah Street, appeared in Gunnedah Local Court last week charged with interfering with a person’s enjoyment and risking their safety following an incident at Nevertire in the early hours of December 15.
Michel was charged over the incident when the owner of a vehicle parked in a truck stop across from the beach party noticed a silver-coloured Holden VE Commodore utility doing doughnuts near his vehicle.
After discovering chips and small dents on his vehicle, the victim contacted police.
Michel was fined $650.
In brief:
A WOMAN who smashed her daughter’s iPod has been ordered to pay $200 for a replacement.
Forty-two-year-old Renee Badior, of Eighth Division Memorial Avenue, appeared in Gunnedah Local Court last Tuesday charged with one count of causing malicious damage over the December 30 incident.
Magistrate Bennett was told Badior had grabbed the iPod shortly after 9am, bending it and causing it to shatter.
She was also placed on a Section 10, nine-month good behaviour bond.
A GUNNEDAH man has had a speeding matter dismissed under Section 10 (1)(a) with no conviction recorded.
Jason Bush, 46, of Stock Road was caught driving at 61kp/h in a 50kp/h zone in View Street at 2am on December 20.
After reading a letter of explanation from Bush Magistrate Bennett, dismissed the matter.
A GOOLHI Road male has been fined $250 for driving at a speed 10kph over the limit on the Black Stump Way.
Joseph Dufty, 20 pleaded guilty to the offence at his court hearing last week.
The court was told that Dufty’s vehicle was spotted near Premer shortly after 10am on December 6 travelling at a speed between 115kp/h and 120kp/h.
A GUNNEDAH teenager who spent a day at the Warren Twilight Races has been let off with a bond on a special range PCA conviction.
Calvin Hayne, 18, of Beulah Street, blew the bag at .033 on the morning of December 13 after spending the previous evening at the race meeting.
Hayne’s Holden Commodore utility had been stopped by a Darling River Highway Patrol vehicle shortly after 10am.
Magistrate Bennett placed Hayne on a Section 10, eight-month bond without conviction with the conditions that any moving traffic offence in that period would see him back before the court.
A BANDO Street resident has been fined $200 on a speeding matter.
Matthew Ringstad, 29, came under police notice in View Street on October 26.
Ringstad did not turn up for his court hearing and the matter was dealt with in his absence.
A FAMILY dispute has resulted in a Bloomfield Street man being fined for smashing a sliding glass door at his mother’s home.
Peter Shoobert, 31, didn’t front court last week to contest one count of causing malicious damage and Magistrate Bennett dealt with the matter in his absence.
The court was told the breaking of the door was the final act in a day on drinking, disputes and confrontation between the defendant and members of his family.
Shoobert was fined $450 for the March 29 incident.