Ivan Koshelev sentenced for high range drink driving in Kareela

A man has avoided jail after he drank a bottle of an alcoholic spirit before driving along busy roads and crashing into four parked cars as he attempted to get home in Sydney’s south.

Ivan Koshelev, 68, pleaded guilty and was sentenced for high range drink driving. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

A retiree has avoided jail after he drank an alcoholic spirit bottle before he drove along busy roads and crashed into four parked cars as he attempted to get home in Sydney’s south.

Ivan Koshelev, 68, pleaded guilty and was sentenced for high range drink driving and negligent driving in Sutherland Local Court on Thursday.

Agreed facts tendered to court said Koshelev was driving along Bates Rd in Kareela after 4pm on November 8 last year when another driver became concerned he would have a crash after he mounted a median strip on Box Rd.

The witness contacted police and continued following Koshelev, who drove onto another street where he swerved between lanes and had a flat rear tyre.

Koshelev pulled over to the kerb twice but kept driving both times before he crashed into multiple cars parked along Ingrid Rd.

Koshelev was sentenced in Sutherland Local Court.

He did not stop and continued along two more streets.

Police attended the area and noticed the damaged cars before they located Koshelev sitting on the kerb of Nerida St.

Koshelev returned a roadside breath test of 0.26 before he was taken to Sutherland Police Station and blew a reading of 0.184.

Police got statements from witnesses and owners of the damaged cars, along with camera footage of the collisions.

In court, Koshelev’s lawyer Amanda Brady said her client consumed a full 200ml bottle of a spirit while sitting in Southgate shopping centre car park before he drove home.

Ms Brady said Koshelev was a man of “excellent character” who had no criminal record and not a bad traffic record given the number of years he had been on the road.

She said Koshelev was suffering from depression and alcoholism at the time due to a relationship breakdown and tension with his former partner.

Ms Brady said her client had since completed a mental health rehabilitation program and was sober.

Ms Brady noted Koshelev was “ashamed and embarrassed,” adding he was remorseful and took accountability for his actions.

She also noted he was willing to pay for the damage caused to the other cars.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Blair McGee said the dangerous nature of Koshelev’s actions “could not be understated” particularly noting there would have been peak hour traffic on the main roads.

Magistrate Holly Kemp said Koshelev’s actions were “very serious” and that he put members of the community at risk.

She said the only reasons Koshelev was not going to jail was due to his early guilty plea and lack of criminal history, also acknowledging the steps he had taken to address his mental health and alcohol use.

Koshelev was convicted and sentenced to an intensive correction order for 13 months where he must complete 100 hours of community service and he was disqualified from driving for nine months.

Originally published as Ivan Koshelev sentenced for high range drink driving in Kareela