Peter Hodges, 43, manager of Coffs Harbour Pier Hotel bar sentenced for high range drink driving

Behind the bar he’s the boss, behind the wheel he’s a repeat offender. See how a short drive home after post-work drinks landed this bar manager in court.

Coffs Harbour courthouse.

Behind the bar he’s the boss, but behind the wheel the manager of a popular Coffs Harbour pub is a repeat drink driver - most recently downing drinks after work and blowing 0.157.

Coffs Harbour court heard that 43-year-old Peter Hodges, the bar manager at The Pier Hotel, had finished working a busy evening shift around 12.30am when he drank alcohol and drove home.

Defense lawyer Todd Ritchie told the court his client made a “poor decision” when he decided to drive home - a trip less than 5km - and that he “accepted he shouldn’t have been driving at all” on January 19.

Peter Hodges, bar manager of The Pier Hotel faced Coffs Harbour Court March 4 2025.

He told the court Hodges had entered a plea of guilty at the earliest opportunity, needed his licence to get to and from work and has completed traffic education twice as a result of drink driving.

Since his licence was disqualified at the time of the incident, Hodges has been catching Ubers but these were “unreliable” Mr Ritchie told the court.

In his quest for leniency, Hodges provided references to the court including one from his wife of 28 years.

Peter Hodges was convicted of drink driving and sentenced in Coffs Harbour Court on March 4 2025.

Upon sentencing Magistrate Theresa Hamilton took into account Hodges’ history which included two low range and one mid-range drink driving offences, the most recent in 2019.

Ms Hamilton fined Hodges $900, disqualified him from driving for 6 months and ordered him to install a mandatory interlock , a breath sample device linked to the ignition, for two years.

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