Grant Daniel Walker pleads guilty to high-range drink driving at Byron Bay Local Court

A Northern Rivers man has pledged to change his ways after he turned to “his old friend alcohol” and was busted drink driving, fearing he could kill someone on the road.

Grant Walker pleaded guilty to high-range drink driving.

A Pottsville driver has pledged to change his ways after he turned to “his old friend alcohol” and was busted high-range drink driving in Byron Bay.

Tweed man Grant Daniel Walker, 46, exclaimed in Byron Bay Local Court after losing his job and attending a traffic offenders program: “It (the program) brought me to tears.”

He said he worried he “could have killed” a member of his family or the wider community by drink driving.

“I isolated myself from my friends and family and turned to my old friend alcohol,” Walker said.

“I made a stupid decision and got behind the wheel of my vehicle. I got as far as the industrial estate and would like to thank police for stopping my car.

Grant Daniel Walker leaving Byron Bay Courthouse.

“I want to apologise to the community for putting them at risk and I want to apologise to the court for taking up their time.

“I began going to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings at Brunswick Heads that week and have continued to attend every week.”

Walker pleaded guilty to high-range drink driving on Monday.

The court heard Walker was driving a Toyota Echo along Ewingsdale Rd in Byron Bay when police pulled him over about 9pm on March 30.

Walker’s vehicle was spotted swerving and crossing the centre line, police documents state.

Walker told officers he had been drinking at a Byron park and had his last drink an hour beforehand. He said he intended to drive to Pottsville, about 40km north.

Byron Bay Courthouse.

Police described Walker’s eyes as glassy and red, his breath as reeking of alcohol and they said he was slurring his speech and unsteady on his feet.

Walker failed a roadside breath test and later recorded a blood-alcohol level of 0.244 at Byron Bay Police Station.

Walker represented himself in court and said he lost his job that day of offending.

He spoke of the benefits of the traffic program and told the court he was keen to do better.

Walker said he was an alcoholic, but he had not had a drink since the offending and planned to never consume an alcoholic beverage again.

“I have no previous traffic offences. I’m scared to get behind the wheel at the moment and hope I will regain the confidence to teach my (family member) to drive one day,” he said.

Magistrate Karen Stafford told the court the offending was aggravated by the high blood alcohol reading, manner of driving and Walker’s intent to drive half an hour away – likely on the motorway.

Walker told the court the traffic offenders program brought him to tears and he planned to stop drinking entirely.

However, Ms Stafford told Walker: “You admitted that you were an alcoholic and have not been using alcohol since … your remorse is genuine.”

“You got your P-plates in 2004 and have a clean driving record,” she said.

Ms Stafford sentenced Walker to an 18-month community corrections order.

He must complete 100 hours of community service and abstain from drinking alcohol.

Walker was also disqualified from driving for six months. He will have to use an alcohol interlock device for two years when he is allowed back on the road.