Eastern suburbs drink-drivers: High-flyers lashed by judge
A high-profile nutritionist for Kellogg’s, a woman who nearly drove into a police car and a drug-driving hairdressing chain owner have all copped a roasting in court for driving under the influence.
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A high-profile nutritionist for Kellogg’s, a teacher and a drug-driving hair salon owner were among the affluent professionals copping a courtroom lashing from a fed-up magistrate for getting behind the wheel under the influence.
“There needs to be a message sent that if you drink and drive you will find yourself without a licence,” Magistrate Greg Grogin told Waverley Local Court.
At the eastern suburbs court this week a range of professionals appeared before an infuriated Mr Grogin on drink and drug-drive charges.
Dr Gina Levy, a nutritionist for Kellogg’s who is also an ambassador for food rescue charity OzHarvest, pleaded guilty to mid-range drink driving after police caught her drunk behind the wheel with her two children in her car in Matraville.
Court documents state police pulled Dr Levy, 45, over in Matraville before finding her daughter, 9, and her son, 12, in the car.
She told officers she had drunk two glasses of bourbon, and blew 0.114.
“You’ve got two children, you’re a good mum and yet they had to see you get arrested on the night,” Mr Grogin said.
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“You pose a risk to everybody in the community with a reading of 0.114 — more importantly you pose a risk to your children and they deserve better than that, it’s a recipe for disaster”.
Dr Levy cried as she was convicted, disqualified from driving for three months, and fined $880. She must also have an alcohol interlock fitted to her car for one year.
It was also a harsh lesson for teacher Timothy Keating, 54, who pleaded guilty to low-range drink driving after blowing 0.059 on October 7.
Keating was found guilty without a conviction and sentenced to a one-year conditional release order.
“What you need to do is take a long, hard look at yourself,” Mr Grogin said.
Repeat offender Alisa Parks was also blasted after the court was told she blew 0.072 in August, despite escaping a conviction for drink-driving in 2016.
According to a police fact sheet, 46-year-old Parks almost collided with a police vehicle after officers activated their lights to pull her over in Bronte.
She was convicted, fined $770 and banned from driving for six months.
“You had the benefit in 2016 of having a mid-range (drink-driving charge) dealt with by way of no conviction and here you are three years later,” Mr Grogin said.
Drug drivers also faced court, with salon-owner Pedram Mehdizadeh pleading guilty after being caught with cocaine in his system while driving with his two children on June 10, the day after a big night out.
He was convicted of driving a vehicle with an illicit drug present in his blood, fined $660 and banned from driving.
Mr Grogin blasted the father for his mistake, saying “you’ve got a seven-year-old and a three-year-old … they were passengers at your whim … they had you in their faith, their life, their wellbeing, but because the night before you wanted to have some coke and drive all that went out the window.”