Nathan Robert Lindner likely to avoid jail after drug driving on wrong side of highway with child in the car

A father who has been caught driving while disqualified a staggering amount of times was spotted travelling on the wrong side of a highway while high on meth and with his child in the backseat.

A meth addict father with a huge rap sheet will likely avoid jail despite being spotted driving on the wrong side of the road while high on drugs and with his child in the backseat.

Nathan Robert Lindner, 35, has been caught driving while disqualified 11 times as well as committing other driving offences, a court has heard.

Though he has an extensive history for driving offences — every term of imprisonment handed to him has been suspended.

Nathan Robert Lindner who has been caught driving while disqualified 11 times will likely avoid imprisonment after he was caught drug-driving on the wrong side of the road with a child in the car. Picture: Arj Ganesan

According to court documents, Lindner was spotted by police driving on the wrong side of the road along an 80km/h stretch of the Riddoch Highway in Nangwarry.

Checks revealed he had methamphetamine in his oral fluid while he had a child in the car.

Lindner pleaded guilty in the Mount Gambier Magistrates Court to drive in right lane on multi-lane road when not permitted, drive with methamphetamine with a child under 16 present and contravene condition of a probationary licence.

A police prosecutor told the court they were seeking a term of imprisonment for the man, given his extensive history of driving offences.

The man’s defence lawyer Tess Dunsford was unable to provide her closing submissions as Magistrate Koula Kossiavelos wanted to wait until a home detention report was generated.

“The Supreme Court has actually hammered me in relation to being too lenient in the past with drive while disqualified (offences),” Ms Kossiavelos said.

“I consider that a correct sentencing option in this matter without having heard submissions is more likely to be home detention.

“I’m looking at home detention — I wouldn’t be sending him to prison for these matters.”

Ms Kossiavelos slammed Lindner for knowingly breaking the law, highlighting he had been given a suspended sentence for driving while disqualified 18 months ago.

“You don’t come before the court with a clean record,” she said.

“I also saw from the pre-sentence report you’ve got a drug issue.

“Saying that you haven’t used the substance in a couple of years is incorrect — you have to address that drug issue.”

The Penola man will next front court in October where he will be sentenced.

Ms Kossiavelos ordered a home detention court warning Lindner she had not “made a final decision” as to his sentence.