Clarence Valley drink drivers convicted in 2021

From crashing into power poles, driving without headlights and trying to fool cops by pretending to be asleep, here are some of the shocking drink drivers convicted this year.

Here are some of the high range drink drivers to face Clarence courts in 2021.

We are only three months into 2021, and already there have been some shocking drink driving offences heard in Clarence Valley courts.

Here are some of the more outrageous offences of people that have been busted for being drunk behind the wheel:

Drink driver caught twice in one night avoids jail

A 21-year-old caught drink driving twice in the space of an hour on the streets of Grafton has been sentenced.

Robina man Lachlan James Cronin appeared in Grafton Local Court in January where he pleaded guilty to drive with high range PCA, drive with middle range PCA, operating a vehicle so driving wheels undergo loss of traction and driving when visiting privileges withdrawn.

Court documents reveal Cronin was stopped by police after he was caught losing traction while leaving a carpark at 10.25pm on September 19, 2020. After returning a positive roadside test he was arrested and taken to Grafton Police Station where he blew 0.157.

About an hour later Cronin was again spotted by police where he was stopped, arrested and returned another positive reading of 0.146.

Cronin was sentenced to a community corrections order, with the condition that he attend and complete a driver education order. Cronin was also disqualified from holding any driver's licence for eight months and fined a total of $500.

Drink driving with no headlights ends in crash, conviction

A Cowper woman has been convicted of high range drink driving after she was involved in a crash on a South Grafton street last year.

Kylie Shipman appeared in Grafton Local Court in February where she was sentenced for the offence.

The court heard that about 9pm on Sunday, September 13, 2020, Shipman was driving her vehicle along Ryan St without headlights on.

Court documents reveal that at the same time a second vehicle was driving in the opposite direction and attempted to turn right into a driveway, but collided with Shipman's car due to the driver not seeing the vehicle.

Shipman was transported to Grafton Base Hospital, and a blood sample taken on the night was analysed and returned a reading of 0.168.

Magistrate Kathy Crittenden sentenced Shipman to a nine month intensive correction order. Shipman was also ordered to perform 100 hours community service work, and a mandatory interlock order was imposed.

Iluka man faces court for high range drink driving

An Iluka man has faced Maclean Local Court after he was busted behind the wheel with a blood alcohol reading of more than four times the legal limit, a court has heard.

Shane Callum Wakefield was sentenced in court in February after pleading guilty to high range PCA.

According to court documents, about 6.15pm Saturday, October 3 last year officers from Coffs/Clarence Police District were patrolling the village of Iluka along Riverview St when they saw a dark coloured Daihatsu 4WD travelling north along Duke St.

Police turned to follow the vehicle when it made an unusually large turn onto Owen St and then drove partially onto the unsealed shoulder of the road. Police stopped the vehicle where the 47-year-old was submitted to a roadside breath test, which returned a positive result. Wakefield was submitted to a breath analysis at Iluka Police Station which returned a reading of 0.213.

Magistrate Kathy Crittenden convicted Wakefield and sentenced him to a nine month intensive corrections order, and disqualified him from holding any driver's licence for nine months.

Drunk driver busted after crashing into power pole

A drunk driver returned a breath analysis of more than three times the legal limit after he crashed his car into a power pole, a court heard.

Grant Cotten appeared in Grafton Local Court in January where he was sentenced after pleading guilty to driving with high range PCA.

According to court documents the 30-year-old was driving a red Nissan Patrol on Prince St, Grafton about 10.30pm after spending the day drinking and as he attempted to drive through a roundabout on Dobie St he lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a power pole.

Police were called and Cotten was arrested and returned a reading of 0.165.

Cotten was sentenced to a nine month intensive correction order, including 80 hours of community service. Cotten was disqualified from holding any driver's licence for eight months, and ordered to comply with Community Corrections directions regarding drug and alcohol rehabilitation.

Drunk driver blows 0.173 after refusing roadside test

A Grafton man has faced court after he was arrested for drunk driving, then refusing to submit to a roadside breath test when stopped by police before threatening an officer while he was being taken into custody.

Clint Andrew White appeared in Grafton Local Court in February where he was convicted after pleading guilty to destroy/damage property, drive with high range PCA and refusing to submit to a breath test.

White was stopped by police in the early hours of January 17 this year in relation to an alleged domestic violence incident in Wooli. White refused multiple requests to take a breath test, asking officers for a light of his cigarette before failing to blow into the machine, then blowing too hard and failing to provide a sufficient breath sample.

White was eventually placed in the rear of the vehicle and taken to Grafton Police Station where he returned a reading of 0.173.

White was sentenced to a community correction order and a conditional release order for 12 months. White was also disqualified from holding any driver's licence for nine months, and fined $200.

Drink driver's antics fail to trick sharp-eyed cops

A Maclean woman's attempts at pulling a switcheroo on police after she was pulled over for swerving across the road and speeding in Ulmarra have ended with her conviction for high range drink driving.

Adele Maree Gibson Waters faced Grafton Local Court in February after pleading guilty to driving with high range PCA.

The court heard that about midnight on November 15 last year officers from Coffs/Clarence Police District were heading towards Grafton on Big River Way at Ulmarra when they saw a red Hyundai i30 in the town driving at a speed they believed to be above the speed limit.

According to the agreed facts police stopped the vehicle at Ulmarra and as they got out of their vehicle they saw a female climb from the driver's seat to the rear passenger seat. As police approached the car they saw the woman pretending to be asleep in the back. Police were able to wake the woman, who returned a reading of 0.153.

Magistrate Kathy Crittenden convicted Gibson Waters of driving with high range PCA and driving a motor vehicle while licence suspended. Gibson Waters was sentenced to a community correction order for a period of 12 months. The court also disqualified the offender from holding a driver's/rider's licence for six months.

Brooms Head man busted four times over the limit

A man disqualified from driving until 2023 was caught behind the wheel by police and returned a reading of more than four times the legal limit when breath tested by police.

Brendan Paul Owen, 52, fronted Maclean Local Court in March where he was convicted of driving with high range PCA and driving a motor vehicle during a disqualification period.

According to court documents about 1.35pm September 15, 2020 police were patrolling Cameron St, Maclean when they pulled over a Nissan bus for a random breath test. Police saw Owen get out of the vehicle and walk away from the scene after pulling over, and police exited the vehicle and took hold of Owen.

The court was told Owen took part in a roadside breath test which came back positive and Owen was arrested. At Maclean Police Station returned a reading of 0.235, and a check of driver's licence found he had been disqualified until 2023.

Owen was sentenced to a 12 month intensive corrections order, and disqualified from driving for 12 months.

Originally published as Clarence Valley drink drivers convicted in 2021