Airlie Beach airport shuttle driver pleads guilty in Proserpine Court to drink driving

The driver will pay a high price for his decision to drive home from the pub after half a dozen schooners.

Police conducting random breath testing on Waterson Way, Airlie Beach, on March 16 intercepted Mr Barnes on his way home from the pub. Picture: Supplied.

An Airlie Beach airport shuttle driver will have to look for a new job after “a very poor case of judgment” resulted in the loss of his licence.

Jamie Scott Barnes faced Proserpine Magistrates Court on a drink driving charge on Monday, April 12, after police busted him on his way home from a night out at the pub in March.

The court heard Barnes, who moved to Airlie Beach from Wollongong in search of work about a year ago, drank six schooners of mid-strength beer in a five-hour session at the Airlie Beach Hotel on March 16.

Police said when Barnes blew 0.131 per cent after he got behind the wheel of his personal car about 1am.

“It was my decision to drive not knowing my blood alcohol limit,” Barnes told the court.

He pleaded guilty to drink-driving.

Magistrate James Morton suspended Barnes’ licence for seven months and ordered him to pay a $750 fine.

“You drink six schooners, you’d have to know you’re going to be over the limit,” Mr Morton said.

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Barnes was hopeful he might return to driving for the airport shuttle service after the licence disqualification period, although admitted he was “not too sure how the commercial licence works” and would “have to look further into it”.

“If it (my licence) does get reinstated, (his employers) have told me I will be allowed to go back and work with them,” Barnes said.

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Originally published as Airlie Beach airport shuttle driver pleads guilty in Proserpine Court to drink driving