Jack Bryant: Grafton repeat drink driver intimidated couple after crash, court hears

A Clarence drink driver who threatened to bash a couple after a crash was told he should be locked up to “strut around” and “tell people how tough you are”. In the end, he dodged prison.

Bryant crashed into another car driving over the new Grafton bridge at night.

A Clarence Valley man was busted drink driving for the third time after he crashed into a car and later threatened to “bash” the other driver and her husband.

Grafton man Jack Bryant, 35, represented himself in Grafton Local Court after pleading guilty to intimidation and drink driving.

Magistrate Roger Prowse slammed Bryant for his actions and said he “deserves to go to jail”.

Bryant “suddenly accelerated without warning” and crashed into a car while driving across the new Grafton bridge just before 11pm on August 23 last year, police state in court documents.

Jack Bryant faced Grafton Local Court. Picture: Facebook.

“After colliding with the victim’s vehicle, (Bryant) has then veered left and mounted the median strip running through the centre of the bridge lanes,” police state.

“This has caused further front end damage to (his) vehicle.”

Bryant stopped to exchange details with the victim and she noticed he appeared to be drunk and was slurring his words, the court was told.

Bryant followed the woman home and became “irate” when her husband assessed the damage.

He was “aggressive” and started “swearing” at the couple. Bryant threatened: “Just wait, I’m going to come and bash you”, the court was told.

Bryant was driving over the new Grafton bridge.

Bryant drove home but patrolling police noticed the “significant front end damage” to his car and pulled him over.

The officers noticed Bryant was visibly intoxicated, but they did not breath test him because he had arrived at his home, the documents state.

Police eventually spoke to Bryant about the victims and he exclaimed: “I don’t give a f--k. I’ll go around there right now and bash them.”

Jack Bryant.

Mr Prowse described Bryant as acting “with bravado” and said he “certainly deserves to go to jail”.

“That way you can strut around the exercise yard and tell people how tough you are,” he said.

“Nobody, not even you, believe that you only had one beer,” he said, adding that this would be Bryant’s third drink driving conviction.

Bryant, who was supported in the court by his partner, told Mr Prowse he should not be locked up because he was a hard worker and his partner was expecting another child.

Prowse convicted Bryant of both offences.

He was sentenced to a 12-month intensive correction order for drink driving and an 18-month conditional release order for intimidation.