Brian Kiama Muhiu pleads guilty to drink driving offences

An international student has been warned he was lucky he didn’t kill anyone, after being caught drink driving three times including a crash that landed two people in hospital.

International student Brian Kiama Muhiu appeared in Geelong court after being caught drink driving three times in four months.

An international student has had a wake-up call, after being caught drink driving three times in four months, including a crash that landed two people in hospital.

Brian Kiama Muhiu, 24, of Kenya, appeared in the Geelong Magistrates Court on Friday and pleaded guilty to traffic charges relating to three drink-driving incidents, in November, December and February, including drink driving.

Magistrate Ann McGarvie told Muhiu he can count his lucky stars the didn’t

“You’re lucky that you were only pulled up by the police and had minor crashes, because you could have killed someone,” she said.

The court heard Muhiu crashed into the back of a car at the roundabout at the intersection of Anakie Rd and Furner Ave in Bell Park in December.

Police prosecutor Senior Constable Alex Turner told the court when police arrived, Muhiu appeared quite intoxicated and was sitting on a fence in front of his car.

The smell of alcohol was “overpowering”, Constable Turner said.

Muhiu refused to undertake an evidentiary breath test and acted “very intoxicated and belligerent”, Constable Turner said.

A mother and her two children were in the car Muhiu hit.

Constable Turner said no victim impact statements had been presented, nor had an up-to-date record of their injuries be provided to the court.

About two months later, on February 11, Muhiu was intercepted driving a rental car in Norlane.

Constable Turner told the court Muhiu wasn’t wearing a seatbelt and had a blood-alcohol reading of more than 0.14.

The court heard Muhiu was “verbally abusive and argumentative” with officers.

Prior to these two incidents, Muhiu also totalled a friend’s car he borrowed after hitting a ute in November last year. The ute was not damaged.

Muhiu’s lawyer told the court her client, who is on a student visa, had taken steps to address his alcoholism.

“It’s clear from the offending that drinking is a massive issue,” she said.

The court heard that Muhiu, who had no criminal or driving priors, had been struggling financially and ended up “hanging around with the wrong people”.

The court heard a character reference was provided to the court by Muhiu’s father, who is a police officer in Kenya, and Hillsong Church.

His lawyer told the court he has already completed a drink driving program, engaged with his GP and Cultura, and was now set to begin counselling.

He had also reached out to the victims and offered his apologies as well as compensation.

Constable Turner told the court a good behaviour bond would be appropriate in the circumstances.

“Hopefully his parents can get in his ear and tell him to fix up his life,” Constable Turner said.

Ms McGarvie warned Muhiu not to get behind the wheel, and sentenced him to a 12-month good behaviour bond, without conviction.

“It may well be that you’re one of some of us who can’t just have one or two drinks” she said.

Originally published as Brian Kiama Muhiu pleads guilty to drink driving offences