Dale Colin Latemore pleads guilty in Roma Magistrates Court to drink driving, wilful and unlawful damage

A concerned neighbour woke to a drunk man behind the wheel of a ride-on mower destroying his lawn at 2am. Here’s why he said he did it.

A Roma man has told a court he didn’t realise he couldn’t drink and drive on a ride-on mower after his bizarre 2am gardening escapade.

Dale Colin Latemore pleaded guilty in Roma Magistrates Court to drink driving and wilful and unlawful damage.

Police prosecutions said on February 27, police were called to reports of the 60-year-old using a ride-on mower to cross the street and damage his neighbour’s lawn on Charles St, Roma.

When police arrived at about 5am, they found Latemore riding the mower along the footpath and they followed him into the back of a dwelling he entered.

The defendant proceeded to open the bar fridge door and crack open a beer, which police seized as they questioned him.

Latemore told police he began mowing his own lawn at 2am and didn’t realise the blade was running when he crossed the street to the opposite property.

Police performed a breath test on Latemore which revealed a blood alcohol reading of 0.165, and he was then arrested and taken to the Roma police station.

Prosecutions said they acknowledged Latemore didn’t realise riding a mower drunk counted as drink driving and that his last and only drink driving offence was in 1984.

“There’s worse things happening in Roma,” the prosecutor said.

Magistrate Shane Elliott said the defendant mowing his lawn at 2am was bizarre behaviour and asked him why he would disturb his neighbours so early in the morning.

Latemore, who was representing himself in court, said while he would plead guilty to the charges he brought material to offer explanations for his actions.

“It’s a pretty quiet mower,” the defendant said.

“I had visitors on the Sunday who I hadn’t seen in a really, really long time … and we bet on the horses and the horse won and then on the Monday it was my birthday and I felt good.

“I had been eating and I wasn’t off my tree, I knew exactly what I was doing.

“I had never used this mower before. It’s got headlights on it and it’s the first time I had ever used the headlights on it, and I’ve got a little Kia Rio car and the headlights of the mower’s are just as good as that.”

Latemore was fined $400 and convictions were recorded.