Motorcycle racer drink drives to retrieve medication for ‘violently ill’ pregnant wife

An Aussie motorcycle racer has put his contract with one of the country’s biggest racing names on the line after drink driving to help his ‘violently ill’ pregnant wife.

A popular motorcycle racer, who has represented Australia, has pleaded guilty to drink driving at a court north of Brisbane – saying it was because of his ‘violently ill’ pregnant wife that he got behind the wheel.

Aiden Dean Wagner, 27, pleaded guilty to drink driving, not over the middle limit, at Caboolture Magistrates on Monday, May 9, 2022.

The court heard Wagner had a relevant history, but needed to avoid a conviction to keep his job racing motorcycles for Yamaha Australia.

He was told to ‘pull his head in’ and let off with a fine and license disqualification.

Aiden Dean Wagner, 27, pleaded guilty to drink driving, not over the middle limit, at Caboolture Magistrates on Monday May 9, 2022. Photo - Facebook.

Wagner is a popular motorcycle racer and represented Australia internationally in 2017.

The court heard he also works for Wagner Soil Testing and recently purchased a macadamia farm which he intends to run.

According to his lawyer, Wagner worked long hours from 4.30am to 8pm, six days a week to support his pregnant wife and their baby daughter.

The court heard on March 25, 2022, Wagner was pulled over by police when driving at Kedron with a blood alcohol reading of 0.098.

That night, Wagner and his pregnant wife were celebrating purchasing the farm with his grandparents when she became ‘violently ill’.

The court heard Wagner had already had four beers with dinner when he realised they didn’t have his wife’s usual prescription medication with them.

“His wife became extremely sick. It became an urgent sort of situation,” his lawyer told the court.

“He does accept he could have used alternative transport … he wasn’t thinking straight.

“She was violently ill and he was driving her to obtain that medication.”

Wagner was driving through a roadworks zone, around 10pm that night, when police noticed his driving and pulled him over.

The court heard he was driving a wide four-wheel drive which slightly dropped off the edge of the bitumen to a lower level – through the road works zone.

Wagner’s lawyer told the court he needed his license and to avoid a conviction to operate the farm, work for the family business, and keep his job racing for Yamaha Australia.

A conviction against Wagner for drink driving would be enough for Yamaha Australia to terminate his contract with them, the court heard.

Magistrate James Blanch told the court Wagner needed ‘to pull his head in’.

“Being a professional driver you should know better,” he told the court.

Magistrate Blanch warned Wagner this was his last chance, next time he was before the court for drink driving he would have a conviction recorded.

Wagner was fined $1000 and disqualified from driving for four months. No conviction was recorded.