Christopher John Sage: Drink driver caught with children in car

A Tweed Shire retirement village worker drove almost 30km speeding, drunk with two young children in his car. The situation escalated when police pulled him over.

A drink driver became irate after police stopped him for speeding while he had two children in the back of his car.

Christopher John Sage came to police attention about 11.15am on October 23 when he was captured driving at speeds of up to 99km/h in an 80km/h zone on Clothier Creek Rd, according to court documents.

Police approached the car near Cabarita Beach and saw a 10-year-old girl and nine-year-old boy in the back of the car.

Sage was asked if he knew why he was stopped and said “yeah speeding”.

When asked how fast he was going he said “90” but was shown the speed of “99”.

He said he was trying to get to his sister’s place for a barbecue.

Police noticed he smelt of alcohol, his speech was slurred and his eyes were watery.

Sage told police he’d had his last beer 15 minutes earlier in Murwillumbah.

He returned a positive breath test and police required him to be taken to the Kingscliff police station and arrangements were made for the children to be picked up by nearby family.

Sage became emotional and asked to have a cigarette. He was told he would not be able to drink or smoke until the breath analysis.

He became agitated and said “I’m having a cigarette” and started walking back to the car, he opened the door despite being told not to.

Sage was restrained and placed into handcuffs.

He became upset and his girl daughter said to him “just do what he says dad.”

The family arrived and took the children and left.

Sage returned a reading of 0.119 at the police station.

He told police he’d drunk four cans of Tooheys New beer and 10 cans of Jameson Whiskey and Dry between 1pm the previous afternoon and 3am that morning.

He then slept, drank another beer and drove from Mt Burrell to Murwillumbah, had another beer and returned home to collect his children before driving 27km to Casuarina for the barbecue.

He said his last meal at 10.30am was cheese and biscuits.

Sage pleaded guilty in Tweed Heads Local Court on Monday to drink driving.

His lawyer told the court Sage relied heavily on his car for his work at a retirement village in Murwillumbah and for his children.

He said Sage had written a letter of apology to the court.

Sage was convicted and fined $900 with the minimum driving disqualification and interlock periods imposed.