Number nine proves unlucky for drink-driver

A 50-YEAR-OLD man who pleaded guilty before Toowoomba Magistrates Court to his ninth drink-driving offence has been jailed for nine months.

However, taking into account Anthony James Lake had served 62 days in jail prior to sentence, Magistrate Andy Cridland ordered he be released immediately on parole.

Lake had been on bail which included the condition he abstain from drinking alcohol and submit to random breath testing by police when he was approached by police in Charleville on October 14, last year, the court heard.

He blew a breath/alcohol reading of 0.146 and was charged with breaching his bail.

Before the court could deal with that matter, the 50-year-old was pulled over while driving on Galatea St, Charleville, about 11.45am on November 11 and blew a breath/alcohol reading of 0.221, police prosecutor Sergeant Mike Robinson said.

He was also driving while disqualified having been disqualified by the court for 39 months in June 2015 and his car’s registration had expired in 2011 and was therefore uninsured as well and the number plates belonged to another vehicle.

Sgt Robinson said a pat-down search of his clothing had also found Lake had 0.8g of marijuana in a bag in his pocket.

Lake appeared by prison video link to plead guilty to all charges.

His lawyer Kevin Rose told the court his client had been an alcoholic since the age of 16 and he also now had a number of mental health and physical health issues.

However, his client had been accepted into an alcohol rehabilitation program once he was released from his current custody.

Magistrate Andy Cridland noted Lake had eight previous convictions of drink-driving over 30 years.

“You have what could only be described as a woeful traffic history,” Mr Cridland told him.

Mr Cridland also fined Lake $500 and disqualified him from holding or obtaining a driver’s licence for five years.