Matt Yager in Coffs Harbour court for high range drink driving at Toormina

A 39-year-old, seriously injured in a smash, limped into Coffs Harbour court to face sentencing on high range drink driving. ‘I have no recollection of going back to the car and driving.’

Matthew Yager. Picture: Facebook.

A Coffs Harbour man who went out drinking and has no recollection of later driving – smashing through a school fence and flipping his car – has been sentenced.

The 39-year-old was already on community corrections orders for a drug supply and domestic violence matter at the time of the high range drink driving offence, Coffs Harbour Local Court heard on Monday.

Matthew George Yager was trapped in his car after the accident on Toormina Road in the early hours of October 10 last year and spent four weeks in hospital recovering from his injuries, the court heard.

He limped to the bar table as he represented himself in relation to the high range drink driving (first offence) charge before Magistrate Michael Dakin.

“I have rods and plates everywhere – it was a stupid mistake I wish never happened.”

He has been unable to resume his work as a glazier with a Sawtell firm.

Mr Yager told the court he sustained 11 fractures, four of them compound, and had to have skin transplants following the smash which saw him crash through the metal fence of the William Bayldon Public School and flip onto his roof approximately 250 metres before the T-intersection of Lyons Road.

He was trapped for some time before being freed by emergency services and taken to John Hunter Hospital where he spent three weeks and another week in Coffs Harbour hospital.

According to papers tendered to the court he went to the Toormina Hotel around 3pm and had approximately eight beers then walked to a friend’s place around 8pm; but from then on, could not recall what happened.

“I have no recollection of going back to the car and driving – I know how bad that sounds,” Mr Yager told the court.

Residents who heard the crash called emergency services and he was eventually cut from the wreckage and blew 0.211 – Mr Dakin describing it as a “very high reading”.

In making his judgment, Mr Dakin referenced the serious injuries sustained by Mr Yager saying they would make him vulnerable if sent to jail and that he was fortunate nobody else had been injured.

“If a passenger or somebody else had been injured it would not be a question of if, but how long, in jail,” Mr Dakin said.

“And ordinarily – but for the injuries you’ve sustained – you would go to prison.”

But police prosecutor Heidi Warren said Mr Yager was already on a seven-month corrections order at the time for a domestic violence offence and while technically an unrelated matter there were similarities “in terms of drinking” and his recollection of the events, saying he was “drinking alcohol and couldn’t recall putting his hands around the victim’s neck”.

Mr Yager was convicted of high range drinking and given a nine-month sentence to be served by way of an intensive community corrections order which includes being of good behaviour and abstaining from alcohol.

He has been disqualified from driving and will be able to apply for a 24-month interlock driving licence on September 23 this year.