Lincon Bellinger faces Byron Bay court pleading guilty to drink driving packed car at Byron Bay Schoolies

An unlicensed Byron Shire labourer was caught drink driving with seven passengers in his car during Schoolies celebrations – half of them not wearing seatbelts.

Lincon Bellinger, 19, outside Byron Bay courthouse.

An unlicensed Byron Shire labourer aged in his teens was caught drink driving with seven passengers in his car during Schoolies celebrations – half of them not wearing seatbelts.

Lincon Bellinger faced Byron Bay Local Court pleading guilty to drink driving, driving without a licence and driving with four or more unrestrained passengers aged 16 and over.

The 19-year-old from Ocean Shores was pulled over by police for a random breath test on Shirley St in Byron Bay about 3.30am on November 27, the court was told.

Lincon Bellinger sitting on the court steps

“Police saw movement underneath a blanket in the boot area of the car when they approached the Ford Falcon station wagon,” court documents state.

Officers noticed four people in the back seat, that the two people in the centre were not wearing a seatbelt and that the front passenger was known to police.

Police asked Bellinger for his drivers licence and he told them he did not have one. Checks confirmed he had never held a licence.

Bellinger, who smelled of alcohol and had bloodshot eyes, returned a positive roadside test.

He was arrested and placed into a police vehicle – while two women who had been lying under a blanket in the back of the car climbed out, police state.

Bellinger told police he drank four cans of bourbon and cola between 5pm and 2am and had eaten.

Bellinger was arrested by police. Picture: Trevor Veale

He returned a middle-range blood alcohol reading of 0.121.

Police found eight people travelling in the car in total, four without a seatbelt.

Eight people were in the car in total and four of them did not have a seatbelt on.

Police added: “There was a large number of pedestrian traffic in the area due to Schoolies celebrations.”

The court heard Bellinger was trying to get his friend home after their drink was spiked.

Magistrate Karen Stafford said: “You put all their lives in danger.”

But she said Bellinger did not have a criminal record.

Bellinger was convicted, fined $2600 and disqualified from driving for 12 months.