Drink driver caught twice in one night avoids jail

A Queensland man was busted by police drunk behind the wheel in Grafton twice in the space of an hour.

A Queensland man has faced court after he was busted drink driving twice within an hour last year. Picture: iSTOCK

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 on Monday this week where he plead 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middle range PCA, operating a vehicle so driving wheels undergo loss of traction and driving when visiting privileges withdrawn.

According to court documents, about 10.25pm on September 19 last year police spotted Cronin in the carpark of Grafton Aldi supermarket, and watched as he accelerated harshly onto Prince St, causing the rear wheels of the vehicle to lose traction and drift sideways.

The court heard Cronin corrected the vehicle and started to fishtail before he was stopped by police.

Court documents state that police found Cronin behind the wheel, he was the only occupant of the vehicle, and he presented a Queensland provisional licence.

Cronin returned a positive roadside breath test, and was arrested and taken to Grafton Police Station where a second breath test returned a reading of 0.157.

When questioned by police Cronin said he had six drinks between 1pm and 10.20pm, and he was issued with a field court attendance notice.

Court documents reveal that about an hour later at 11.20pm Cronin was again spotted by police driving along Queen St where he was stopped for another roadside breath test.

Recognising him from the previous traffic stop and knowing that he had returned a positive breath test, police again submitted Cronin to a breath test, which returned a positive reading.

Cronin was again arrested and taken to Grafton Police Station, where he returned another positive breath analysis of 0.146.

In court on Monday magistrate Kathy Crittenden convicted Cronin and sentenced him 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.

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