$1500 fine in fence offence
Driver flees crash, loses licence
A DRUNK driver who flattened the gates of a Defence Force training base has been banned from holding a licence for 20 months.
Mark Lubinsky, from Belmont, finished working in Laverton about 4pm on October 4 last year and drove to the nearby RSL club, where he had five to six pots of full-strength beer.
About 7pm, he chose to take a shortcut to his Belmont home, driving the back routes including along the dirt 29 Mile Rd in Point Wilson.
Lubinsky lost control of his car and crashed into the Defence Force facility, flattening the wire fencing.
Police prosecutor Senior Constable Scott Bell told the Geelong Magistrates’ Court yesterday two security guards witnessed the incident and went to Lubinsky’s aid.
He told them “don’t call police”, the court heard.
Lubinsky took off from the scene and police were notified. A little over an hour later, officers at Lubinsky’s Belmont house found his car parked in the front yard.
The front of the car was badly damaged.
Police spoke to Lubinsky’s wife and then Lubinsky. He blew a positive preliminary breath test and was taken to the police station for further testing.
At 9.30pm he blew 0.109. He was charged with a number of offences and bailed to appear at court.
Sen-Constable Bell said Lubinsky told police during an interview he was going about 80km/h, didn’t see the gate and said the security guards were yelling at him.
Lubinsky’s defence lawyer told the court his client was reeling from the death of his mother, death of his father-inlaw and wife’s heart attack at the time of the accident and was having serious mental health issue.
He said Lubinsky’s employer was supportive of his client and had helped him access counselling and get “his life back on track”.
Magistrate Robert Kumar said Lubinsky’s prior history, including losing his licence in 2015 for a similar blood alcohol reading, had to be taken into account during sentencing.
Mr Kumar warned Lubinsky to be “very careful’ in the future, or he would face harsher penalties.
Lubinsky lost his licence for 20 months and was ordered to pay a $1500 fine.
Magistrate Robert Kumar said Lubinsky’s prior history, including losing his licence in 2015 for a similar blood alcohol reading, had to be taken into account during sentencing.