Father spared jail after caught drink driving with children in car

Blacktown dad Neeraj Shukla has avoided a full-time jail sentence after being caught drunk behind the wheel while picking two children up from school.

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A father who blew nearly four times the legal limit while picking two children up from school has been convicted of high-range drink driving.

Neeraj Kumar Shukla, 37, was spared jail in Blacktown Local Court today after he was involved in a drunken crash in a carpark outside Marayong Public School on the afternoon of June 4.

A P-plater, Shukla returned a roadside breath test reading of 0.198, almost four times the legal limit for fully-licensed drivers.

The carpark outside Marayong Public School, Blacktown, where Shukla was involved in the drunken crash with two children in the car. Picture: Google

Police documents said Shukla was unsteady on his feet, had slurred speech and urinated on himself when officers spoke to him at the scene.

At his last court appearance, Shukla pleaded guilty to high-range drink driving with his daughter, 6, and his neighbour’s son, 9, in the car.

Shukla told Magistrate Karen Robinson in court today he had been drinking vodka the morning of the crash — a habit he had developed in the four months leading up to the incident.

He said stress at home and work had caused him to start drinking heavily.

“I had a lot of stress because of my job. My wife was on maternity leave. We had a mortgage and I was under stress,” Shukla told the court.

“I have completely stopped drinking. I am extremely sorry for my mistake.”

Shukla avoids the cameras after leaving Blacktown Court in June. Picture: Kate Lockley

Ms Robinson condemned Shukla’s actions.

“Driving on a P-plate licence with that amount of alcohol, with two kids in the vehicle and having a collision, is a very serious matter,” Ms Robinson said.

“These combined circumstances are coupled with the need to send a message to the community that drink driving will not be tolerated.”

However, Ms Robinson took account of Shukla’s clean driving record and no prior criminal history.

Shukla was ordered to enter into an intensive corrections order for seven months and perform 100 hours of community service.

He was also disqualified from driving for seven months.