Drink driver fronts court

AN ILUKA man caught twice in the same day for drink driving offences was sentenced in Maclean Local Court yesterday

AN ILUKA man who was caught drink driving twice on the same day, and resisted arrest the first time he was stopped by police, was sentenced in Maclean Local Court yesterday.

David Andrew Hunt was found guilty for a range of driving offences from more than a year ago, including mid-range and low range drink driving, driving while disqualified and custody of a knife in a public place.

The 45-year-old also received a 12-month good behaviour bond when convicted on charges of driving recklessly and not obeying directions of police when he evaded a police RBT in Iluka on Australia Day last year.

According to police, on February 1 at 12.55am police received information of a male driving a red Holden Commodore V8 in South Grafton, and at 1.15am was heading north on the Pacific Highway.

Police found the vehicle parked on the side of the road with the driver's door open and the accused behind the wheel. When police approached, Hunt became aggressive and started yelling, but was calm enough to produce a drivers licence.

Assistance was called by police, and when they arrived submitted Hunt to a breath test, which returned a positive result.

When Hunt was told he was under arrest for a breath analysis he said he wasn't going anywhere and attempted to run back to the passenger side of the vehicle.

Police grappled with Hunt and used capsicum spray to subdue him before he was handcuffed. A search uncovered the blade, which Hunt claimed was for work.

The accused was taken to Grafton Police Station where he returned a reading of 0.117.

At 5.10am that day, Grafton police spoke to officers in the Lower Clarence in relation to Hunt, who had been released from Grafton Police Station.

Police attended Bimbimbi Caravan Park, and a short time later observed the accused's vehicle heading east on Iluka Rd. Police stopped the vehicle and spoke to Hunt, where he was arrested for driving while his licence was suspended, and a positive breath test returning a reading of 0.056.

In court Hunt's representative argued his client thought he had "slept it off" and would be right to drive home from Grafton.

Hunt received a 12-month good behaviour bond for resisting officers in execution of their duty and a mid-range PCA and driving a motor vehicle with a suspended licence and a 12-month disqualification.

Originally published as Drink driver fronts court