Matthew Osborne: Ipswich man sentenced for driving, crashing car whiel more than three times the limit

An Ipswich man who downed 10 beers at a Christmas party and decided to drive home is lucky to be alive after causing a head on crash.

A young Ipswich dad-to-be has been sentenced after drinking more than 10 beers at a Christmas party before getting behind the wheel of a car and crashing into oncoming traffic.

Matthew Osborne, 24, appeared in Ipswich Magistrates Court on Monday January 10, where he pleaded guilty to charges of driving under the influence and driving without due care and attention.

The court heard the Bundamba man had spent all day drinking beers at a Christmas party before driving his gold Holden commodore down the wrong lane of Robertson Rd, Eastern Heights and colliding with another vehicle.

Police identified him as the driver and sole occupant of the car following the crash, which occurred about 10.40pm on December 10 last year.

Osborne was transported to Ipswich police station after providing a positive indication in a roadside test where he returned a final reading of 0.161 per cent.

Prosecution told the court his car caused “extensive damage” to the second vehicle in the crash.

His driver’s licence was immediately suspended.

Osborne’s lawyer Matthew Fairclough said his client was an apprentice mechanic at Llewellyn Motors, though his employment would be impacted by the loss of his licence.

Mr Fairclough said Osborne was in a relationship and he and his partner were expecting their first child together.

He described his actions as a “gross error of judgment” for which he was very remorseful.

Mr Fairclough said Osborne had suffered the financial burden of his insurer not covering the cost of repairing his own vehicle or the vehicle he crashed into.

Acting Magistrate Geoffrey Seaholme said he had taken into consideration the “significant money” Osborne would have to pay as a result of the crash, as well as the fact he had already spent a month “off the road”, when deciding an appropriate sentence.

Osborne was fined $1500 and disqualified from holding or obtaining a driver’s licence for six months.

Convictions were recorded.