Intervention program almost too much for drink-driver

THE 52-year-old told his lawyer he would never drink drive again after finding the intervention program highly confronting.

The man told police he'd consumed an unknown amount of beer and cider. Picture: Trevor Veale

AN INTERVENTION program for traffic offenders was so confronting, one drink-driver almost had to leave the room.

A court has heard David John Reid, 52, who was facing court on Monday on a high range drink-driving charge, had completed the Traffic Offenders Program.

The Nimbin man was pulled over for a breath test on Cullen St in Nimbin on January 1 when he returned a high-range reading of 0.161.

He told police he had consumed beer and cider stubbies between 3pm and about 9.20pm, but was unable to state how many he had consumed.

His solicitor, Philip Crick, told Lismore Local Court this week his client had been deeply affected by the messages of the Traffic Offenders Program, which is designed to make offending motorists change their ways.

Mr Crick said some videos involved in the program means Reid, a Newstart recipient, "almost had to leave the room" and had left him with a concrete intention not to drink drive again.

"He says he's just never going to do it again," Mr Crick said.

"He tells me that he had been at a barbecue at a friend's place.

"He had initially been intending to spend the night at that address.

"He was, he tells me, surprised at the reading that came through as being so high."

Mr Crick said Reid was just 2km from his home when he was pulled over.

Magistrate David Heilpern told Reid he "should have known better".

"You've got responsibilities, not least of all to your children," he said.

The court heard Reid was highly regarded in personal references.

"You put this all at stake with this stupidity," Mr Heilpern said.

"It could have been worse.

"You could have killed or injured someone, in which case you would have been going to jail for years and years."

He fined the man $600, and gave him the automatic disqualification period.