James Joseph Lewis in Tweed Heads court for high range drink driving
A cricket club volunteer has gone sober after he was caught drink driving, telling police he’d had six schooners at the club house – but blew more than four times the legal limit.
Police & Courts
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A cricket club volunteer has gone sober after he was caught drink driving more than four times the legal limit.
James Joseph Lewis, 34, pleaded guilty in Tweed Heads Local Court on Monday to high range drink driving.
According to court documents, Lewis was stopped for a random breath test on Tweed Coast Road, Pottsville, about 11pm on November 12, 2021.
Police noticed his speech was slurred, eyes watery and blood shot and he had a strong smell of liquor.
He returned a positive roadside breath test and was taken to Kingscliff police station where he recorded a reading of 0.204.
Lewis told police he’d drunk six schooners at the Pottsville Bowls Club between 4pm and 10pm however police believed he would have drunk a larger quantity.
Defence lawyer Michael McMillan told the court the Pottsville Cricket Club volunteer and defence force veteran was in the midst of a “bitter and difficult” separation and on the day of the offence was using alcohol to self medicate.
He said Lewis had given up alcohol since the incident.
He said Lewis was 30 days sober and had completed a traffic offenders program.
Magistrate Geoff Dunlevy said he appreciated it was a difficult time in Lewis’s life however he’d posed a massive risk to himself and other road users.
“It’s simply not acceptable to allow your personal problems to spill out into the public sphere like this,” Mr Dunlevy said.
He noted Lewis had a history of like offending but more broadly was of good character.
Lewis was convicted and sentenced to a two-year community correction order and disqualified for the minimum driving and interlock periods.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story referenced Lewis as the Pottsville Cricket Club secretary, as was told to the court, however a spokesman from the club has since clarified Lewis is a coach in the club but not a secretary.
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