Rick Hill, Bayrange Group manager, in Coffs Court for drink driving

The Bayrange Group manager had a few drinks and a lie down then was hit with a ‘massive sugar craving’ the court heard.

After a few drinks and a lie down Rick Anthony Hill was hit with a ‘massive sugar craving’ his lawyer told Coffs Harbour Local Court on Monday.

The craving saw him behind the wheel and on the road from Diggers Beach to Park Beach to buy three Flakes on March 11. Prior to this, he had a few beers at home between 3pm and 7pm, then slept for about 20 minutes his lawyer told the court.

But on the way to buy chocolate he was pulled over for a random breath test and blew 0.147 – at the top end of the mid range.

His lawyer told the court that on the day of the offence he had just finished working 21 days straight. He is a manager at Bayrange Group.

The court heard Hill has also been locked in a “bitter” property dispute with his ex-wife of 15 years.

Since the date of the offence, the 50-year-old has been forced to ride his pushbike to work which takes about 30 minutes and has been very “unpleasant” in the recent weather his lawyer told the court – although it has given him plenty of time to “reflect on his situation”.

Hill has been driving for over 40 years and his traffic record includes a number of speeding fines and character references tendered to the court indicated the behaviour was “out of character” according to his lawyer.

He was convicted and fined $880 and disqualified from driving for three months and will then be eligible for an interlock licence for another 12 months.