Tarago man Nathan Anthony Worldon sentenced for drink-driving with teen in the car

A man crashed his car into a safety rail and was found with a bumper bar in his hand after deciding to get behind the wheel with a teenager in the car after drinking for more than eight hours.

A Tarago man crashed his car and endangered lives when he decided to go on a “drive to nowhere” with a teenager in the car after drinking for more than eight hours straight.

Nathan Anthony Worldon, 38, was sentenced on Thursday at Goulburn Local Court after pleading guilty to mid-range drink driving.

The court heard the Tarago resident was driving along Bungendore Rd in Tarago at 1am on September 11 when he lost control of his car at an intersection. Worldon drove off the road and onto the nearby grassland before swerving back onto the wrong side of the road, the court documents show.

The court heard he then drove the Holden Commodore sedan into the safety rail on the side of the road which bounced the car into the correct lane. According to court documents, he miraculously came to a halt on the grass while partially stopped in the northbound lane.

Nathan Anthony Worldon was charged for driving with mid range drink driving at Tarago on September 11. Picture: Facebook

The court heard the car “sustained significant damage” while the passengers were unharmed. When police arrived at around 1.20am, documents show Worldon was holding a detached bumper from the car, and was slurring his words when speaking to officers.

A breath test revealed a blood alcohol reading of 0.128 - more than twice the legal limit.

Worldon’s lawyer Jack Reid said his client had swerved to avoid an animal on the road and subsequently lost control of the car, but the court heard Worldon had failed to mention that detail when speaking to the police.

Mr Reid said Worldon had been drinking since 4pm, more than eight hours before the crash, and estimated he had consumed “approximately 10 drinks”.

“He thought he would go for a short drive around the block,” he said.

“He had been drinking relatively slowly and believed at the time that this wouldn’t be an issue”.

Nathan Anthony Worldon appeared at Goulburn Local Court for his sentencing. Picture: Niki Iliagoueva

Magistrate Geraldine Beattie was critical of Worldon’s decision to drive when he knew he’d had a lot to drink.

“You decided to go on a drive to nowhere and take your (a passenger) when you can’t speak without slurring,” she said.

“You’ve got (a teenager) in the car with you. You took his life in your hands when you decided to drink drive.”

Magistrate Beattie told Worldon he was “very lucky” both he and his passenger weren’t harmed in the crash, which she said “could’ve killed” them.

She acknowledged Worldon’s references described him to be “a good, responsible family man,” however, she found the statement to be ironic.

“This is not the behaviour of a good family man,” she said.

“(He has) the record of someone who has no regard for the road rules.”

Worldon was sentenced to a nine-month community corrections order and fined $1500. He is also disqualified from driving for three months, which began at the time of the offence in September.