Nowra man Sandeep Ghimire charged with drink and negligent driving
A drink driver who was slurring his words after hitting and severely injuring a pedestrian after a session on the beers has learnt his fate in court.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A drink driver who ran down and severely injured a pedestrian on the south coast after drinking multiple beers has been sentenced.
The incident saw Sandeep Ghimire, 34, appear in Nowra Local Court on Tuesday, pleading guilty to mid range drink driving and negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm.
Documents tendered to the court reveal the Nowra man was driving his Nissan X-Trail along the Nowra bridge on the evening of February 23 after drinking multiple beers.
Ghimire turned onto Graham St, Nowra, when a female began crossing the road, resulting in the 34-year-old man hitting her with his car.
Agreed facts state the woman hit the road, injuring her hip and foot.
Paramedics conveyed the woman to the Shoalhaven Hospital, where she was found to have a fractured foot and major hip injuries, later resulting in a hip replacement.
Agreed facts state police at the scene found Ghimire to be affected by alcohol, slurring his words, his eyes bloodshot and the smell of alcohol coming from the vehicle’s cabin.
The Nowra man was subjected to a breath test, returning a positive result of .120 – two and a half times the legal limit.
Ghimire was taken to the Nowra Police Station, where a second test confirmed the result.
The 34-year-old man also confirmed he drank multiple beers before driving.
Ghimire was later issued a court attendance notice.
In court on Tuesday, Ghimire’s lawyer Brett Ford said his client was a respected father and disability worker in the region who needed his licence to complete his job.
“His work without his licence is impossible,” he said.
Mr Ford stressed Ghimire’s remorse and embarrassment over the offence, saying he had no excuse for his manner of driving.
Magistrate Lisa Viney said Ghimire’s decision to drive while affected by alcohol resulted in major injuries for someone who was “simply crossing the road”.
She said Ghimire was lucky he did not kill her.
“I can see you have learnt a lot from the traffic offenders program and you are extremely apologetic and remorseful,” she said.
“But these offences are far too prevalent and do impact the community and its safety.”
Ghimire was convicted, sentenced to a 12 month community corrections order, fined $1250, lost his licence for 12 months and will need to use an interlock device for 12 months once his licence returns.
Got a news tip? Email us at tom.mcgann@news.com.au
More Coverage
Originally published as Nowra man Sandeep Ghimire charged with drink and negligent driving
Sea search in darkness for missing boatie called off
Emergency services and the rescue helicopter have called off the search for one boatie at a waterway in Lake Macquarie, after a boat crash threw four people into the water on Saturday evening.
Read more
More booze, bashing and betting in Indigenous communities after cashless card axed
Axing the cashless debit card in Indigenous communities has led to a surge in gambling, public drunkenness and alcohol-related violence, with more children going hungry, missing school and wandering the streets at night.
Read more