List: drink drivers appearing in Coffs Harbour court recently

From P-platers to businessmen, drink drivers feature heavily in Coffs Harbour court. See our list of offenders to appear this month and what their punishments were.

Drink drivers feature heavily in court proceedings at Coffs Harbour.

From P-platers to businessmen these are some of the drink drivers dealt with already this month at the Local Court:

‘Substantial drinking episode’

Lachlan Bogle Dengate pleaded guilty to mid range drink driving (his first offence) in Coffs Harbour Local Court on May 9.

The court heard Dengate finished drinking around 3am and was picked up later in the day around 4.30pm and blew 0.09.

Magistrate Ian Rodgers told the court that while the reading was at the lower end of the mid range it must have been a “substantial drinking episode to still be at that limit” so many hours later.

Mr Rodgers also told the court that Dengate had a “history relevant to consider” with a gap in offending since 2009 but some previous drink driving matters prior to that.

The 36-year-old, who was in court supported by his mother, was convicted and fined $660.

He was disqualified from driving for three months after which he can apply for an interlock licence.

Smashed after celebrating business deal

In what the magistrate described as possibly the most serious drink driving matter he has ever seen; a fruit picker supervisor turned company director took to the wheel when he was more than four times the limit.

Martin John Kellahan was before Magistrate Ian Rodgers in Coffs Harbour Local Court on Monday, May 9, to face charges in relation to a smash in Woolgoolga on the evening of September 21 last year that left another driver in hospital.

His lawyer told the court Mr Kellahan had gone from being a fruit picker supervisor to the director of his own company in a matter of months and, for the first time in many years, felt like he was “on top of the world”.

Martin John Kellahan. Picture: Facebook

The court heard he went over to a business associate’s house in Woolgoolga to celebrate securing a new contract and “as night fell, so too did his vigilance”.

The 49-year-old drank too much and panicked, fearing “the wrath of his partner” so he decided to drive home to Mullaway along the Solitary Islands Way in a northerly direction.

His lawyer told the court that as he was driving along, his phone fell onto the floor and he bent down to retrieve it and veered into oncoming traffic and hit another car injuring the driver.

Documenting the details of the night Mr Rodgers told the court Kellahan swerved into oncoming traffic on Solitary Islands Way between the intersection of Sunset Ave and Newmans Road, colliding with another car seriously injuring the driver who later required surgery to the ligaments in her knee.

The injuries impacted her ability to work but Mr Rodgers was “not sure of the ongoing impacts”.

Kellahan was breath tested and blew 0.214.

Mr Rodgers recognised there has been a significant gap in offending in Kellahan’s driving record with a “previous matter of this nature” back in 1999 and that he was otherwise a “person of very good character”.

But in relation to his actions that night Mr Rodgers said Kellahan had clearly “abandoned his responsibilities” and added that it “might be the most serious drink driving matter I have seen.”

For the High Range drink driving Kellahan was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment but the matter adjourned for six weeks for him to be assessed for home detention.

In relation to the charge of drive recklessly/furiously or speed/manner dangerous (first offence) he was convicted and fined $1500.

He was disqualified from holding a driver’s/rider’s licence for three years from May 9.

Can keep his job

Young P-plate driver Elijah Rea was seen swerving on the road and blew just over three times the legal limit.

Rea was in Coffs Harbour Local Court on Monday, May 9, where he plead guilty to High Range drink driving on April 10.

His lawyer John Hennessy said Rea, 20, made the “unfortunate” decision to drive and had passengers in the car at the time and “understands the serious nature” of the charge.

Mr Hennessy told the court his client had always worked since leaving school and was previously employed as a trainee painter but recently underwent surgery to his back.

While spending two weeks in bed recovering he was notified via text message that he was fired, Mr Hennessy told the court.

Officers conduct breath testing. Picture: Trevor Veale

Not long afterwards he gained employment as a trainee roof tiler and his current employer has agreed to keep him on, “as long as he is reliable” Mr Hennessy told the court.

It was also heard that around the time, Rea had suffered the loss of a close relative.

Magistrate Ian Rodgers told the court his reading of 0.167 was “three times the legal limit let alone what Mr Rea could have in his system given he was on his Ps”.

Mr Rodgers told the court it was Rea’s first charge for drink driving.

Rea was convicted and fined $900 and disqualified from driving for six months. He will then will be eligible to apply for a 24-month interlock licence.

Straddling the white centre lines

Mark Robert Brady was seen straddling the centre white lines on the road prior to being pulled over and breath tested on March 17 the court heard.

He was before Coffs Harbour Local Court on May 9.

The 49-year-old blew 0.097 which the magistrate said was at the lower end of the mid range scale.

It was his first mid range drink driving offence.

The court heard he lives in a relatively isolated area at Lowanna and is the full-time carer for his partner who is unable to drive in the mornings and evenings due to the medication she takes.

Brady was convicted and fined $770 and disqualified from driving for three months. He will then be eligible to apply for a 12-month interlock licence.

High Range

Shaun Craig Peterson was in Coffs Harbour Local Court on May 2 charged with High Range drink driving on January 22.

It was the 32-year-old’s first High Range drink driving offence.

Peterson was convicted and fined $1,200 and disqualified from driving for six months.

He will then be eligible for a 24-month interlock licence.