Henry Hamish Collins on drink driving charge at Byron Bay court

Read how beers, football, and a P-plater’s decision to drive four friends ended with police - but could have been far more grave.

Henry Collins exiting Byron Bay Local Courthouse after drink driving while on his 'P' plates. Photograph: Savannah Pocock

A 19-year-old surf lifesaver copped a dire warning at court after he blew mid range when he had four passengers on-board and was still on his P-plates.

Henry Hamish Edmund Collins of Balmain had been drinking at the Beach Hotel in Byron Bay - “watching the Swans get smashed” - but worse was to come, a court heard.

Collins pleaded guilty at the Byron Bay Local Court on Monday, October 24, to driving with a middle range blood alcohol reading of 0.096.

According to police documents, officers saw a blue Mazda travelling west along Ewingsdale Road around 12.30am on September 25.

Police pulled the car over for a random breath test and noticed the driver had four passengers accompanying him.

They asked Collins if he had been drinking, and he said he had been.

According to police facts, Collins told them: “I’ve had about five schooners while watching the footy”.

The court heard Collins is a tutor group co-ordinator, studies engineering and a Palm Beach Surf Club volunteer who saved a man from drowning.

Magistrate Karen Stafford said it’s against the law for P-platers to drive with alcohol in their system, and recalled an horrific accident from a couple of years ago in Sydney.

“Four young boys in the car died but the driver survived,” Ms Stafford said.

“You were almost twice the limit of someone that would have their full licence,” she said.

Ms Stafford convicted Collins and fined him $800.

He has been disqualified from driving for a three-month period and must have an interlock for at least 12 months when he gets his licence back.