Trailer of woe after fishing

Mates hurt in crash

“Work hard but don’t play so hard that you put others at risk.” MAGISTRATE PETER MELLAS

A DRUNK man who crashed while towing his tinny — leaving three mates injured — has fronted a Geelong court.

Newcomb’s Dylan Gulino, 23, had been fishing on April 7 when he drove home to wash his boat and trailer before meeting his mates at the Peninsula Hotel.

The Geelong Magistrates’ Court was told yesterday that about 7pm Gulino drove his 4WD, with his tinny and trailer still hooked up, to the hotel, where he stayed for about two hours and consumed five or six fullstrength beers.

About 9pm, he and his mates decided to leave.

Gulino jumped in the driver’s seat, but his mates decided to ride in the tinny, the court heard.

Prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Geoff Lamb said the accused tried to back out of the carpark and mounted the curve. He continued to drive, eventually ending up on Coppards Rd.

As he turned right into another street he hit the kerb, causing the boat to fall off the trailer and roll multiple times, ejecting all three passengers.

Sen-Constable Lamb said two were lying on the ground and police found another sitting on the kerb with bandages wrapped around his head.

The court heard the boat was lying upside down in the middle of the road about 30m from the 4WD.

When interviewed, Gulino told police he was driving 40km/h when he heard a bang, stopped his car and got out to find his friends on the road.

He tested positive to alcohol at the scene and later recorded a blood alcohol concentration of 0.136.

The court heard one man suffered gravel rash, a second man injured his leg and a third man had three fractured vertebrae.

Gulino’s lawyer said his client had no prior convictions, was supported in court by his family and recognised his actions were idiotic.

Gulino pleaded guilty to drink-driving offences.

Magistrate Peter Mellas told the father of two that he had had time to think about his actions and was obviously a hard worker.

But Mr Mellas warned Gulino not to take risks.

“You work hard — sometimes people say you work hard, you play hard,” he said.

“But, (instead) still work hard but don’t play so hard that you put others at risk.”

Gulino was ordered to complete an adjourned undertaking without conviction and was banned from driving for 13 months.