Cooper Heffernan sentenced in Coffs court over Bellingen high range crash
The 29-year-old admitted to driving when emergency services responded to the smash on Anzac Day this year. See what sentence he was given in Coffs Harbour court:
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On Anzac Day just after 9.20pm, Bellingen man Cooper Edward Heffernan, lost control on Lavenders Bridge and tipped his car into a concrete wall.
The matter was outlined in Coffs Harbour Local Court on Monday, June 20, where Heffernan pleaded guilty to high range drink driving.
The court heard Heffernan admitted to driving when emergency services were called to the scene and when breath tested he blew 0.208.
His passenger suffered minor cuts and abrasions and was taken to Coffs Harbour hospital.
The bridge is a busy link road between north and south Bellingen and Magistrate Ian Rodgers told the court the driving posed an extreme danger to the public, Heffernan and his passenger.
The court also heard that Heffernan had a previous mid range drink driving matter on his record from 2017 describing his history as “limited but highly relevant”.
Mr Rodgers said the 29-year-old was “otherwise of good character with strong support in his community”.
Since losing his licence after the incident he has been walking to the end of his road and getting a lift into work at an automotive business in Bellingen.
His lawyer told the court Heffernan had been attending Alcoholics Anonymous and was abstaining from alcohol.
Mr Rodgers heard the matter in the morning but told the court he wanted to think about his decision over the lunch break.
When court resumed he convicted and sentenced Heffernan to a term of imprisonment of nine months, starting on June 20, to be served by way of intensive correction in the community. The order is subject to the standard conditions of good behaviour and to submit to supervision by a community corrections officer.
Mr Rodgers also ordered that he abstain from alcohol for that nine-month period.
Heffernan was disqualified from driving for six months and will then be eligible to apply for a 24-month interlock licence.
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