Derek Chatri Raymond disqualified driving for more than a year after crashing into tree while drunk

A drunk driver has been slapped with a stern warning from a magistrate after crashing into a tree on the way to the pub while using his phone.

A man who crashed into a tree while texting and driving while four times the limit has been fined and lost his licence for more than a year.

Derek Chatri Raymond, 40, pleaded guilty to one count of due care and driving with excess blood alcohol in the Christies Beach Magistrate Court on Monday, with a magistrate questioning his remorse.

In sentencing submissions, Magistrate Briony Kennewell asked Raymond if he had spent the past few months reflecting on his callous decision to drive while intoxicated.

“Have you thought about how you could have killed someone else on the road? Driving with this level of alcohol, are you sorry for that?” Magistrate Kennewell asked.

“Uh, yep,” Raymond replied.

The court heard Raymond consumed five beers at home, then made his way to the Aldinga pub on September 16, but lost control of his car, drove up an embankment and crashed into a tree just after 9:30pm.

The police prosecutor submitted to the court Raymond had been on his phone, checking a text message when the crash occurred.

“He told police he wasn’t looking at the road and does not know how the collision happened,” said the police prosecutor.

The court heard the road marks left by the crash indicated Raymond had been driving north before completely crossing over a median strip on to the incorrect side of the road.

The car then crossed back over before spinning 180 degrees, travelling up the embankment on the western side of Old Coach Road and smashing sideways into a tree.

When police conducted a blood-alcohol test, Raymond returned a reading of 0.193.

The court also heard Raymond had been previously convicted of drunk driving back in 2016.

Raymond maintained to the court he doesn’t have a problem with alcohol and said the reading may have something to do with his slight build.

“I’m concerned you don’t appear to acknowledge the gravity of your driving,” Magistrate Kennewell said.

“You could have killed yourself but more importantly you could have killed an innocent member of the public.

“You have seen what our current road toll is and to drive with that level of alcohol and to also be looking at your phone and not at the road is dangerous.”

Raymond was fined a total of $1400 and disqualified from driving for the next 14 months.

Convictions were recorded.

The warning comes as SA lost its 104th person to a road accident after a pedestrian was hit by a ute at Kilkenny. At the same time last year, 62 had died on the state’s roads.