Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation CEO Shane Lucas caught drink-driving

The boss of a statutory authority blew an “extreme” alcohol reading after he was stopped on his way to “an entertainment venue”.

Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation chief executive Shane Lucas outside court after pleading guilty. Picture: Blake Foden

The boss of a Victorian statutory authority says he will “have to pay the price” after he was busted drink-driving on his way to an “entertainment venue” in Canberra.

“I made a silly mistake,” Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation chief executive Shane Lucas told this masthead outside the ACT Magistrates Court on Friday.

The 55-year-old man, from Brunswick East in Melbourne, made that comment minutes after he had pleaded guilty to a drink-driving charge.

Court documents show police were conducting random breath tests in the ACT suburb of Fyshwick about 10.25pm on Thursday.

They spotted a grey Subaru Forester turning away from them, prompting them to pull the car over.

Shane Lucas leaves court on Friday after a night in police custody. Picture: Blake Foden

Upon approaching the vehicle, officers noticed “a strong smell of intoxicating liquor emitting from the driver’s side window”.

The driver, Lucas, returned a positive roadside breath screening test.

Chief executive officer Shane Lucas. Picture: Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation

He was subsequently taken to City Police Station where he blew 0.195, which is nearly four times the legal limit to drive.

Court documents show Lucas told police he had drunk six glasses of white wine in the five hours prior to being pulled over.

According to the documents, Lucas was stopped while driving from his hotel to “an entertainment venue” in Fyshwick.

In the documents, police say they did not believe Lucas was able to care for himself at the time of his arrest because of his “extreme level of intoxication”.

The ACT Magistrates Court, where Shane Lucas appeared on Friday. Picture: Newswire / Gary Ramage

He was therefore kept in custody overnight before facing court, where he was granted bail.

Lucas has been in charge of the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation since 2019, before which time he was a member of the Commonwealth Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

Since 2020, he has been a director of the Victorian Foundation for Survivors of Trauma.

Lucas was perplexed by the sight of a reporter taking pictures of him as he left court on Friday.

“Hello, why are you taking photos of me?” he asked.

Asked if he would like to comment on his offence for this article, he initially declined.

He then stopped while walking away and briefly turned around.

“I made a silly mistake and I have to pay the price,” Lucas said. “That’s all I have to say.”

Lucas, who was immediately suspended from driving in the ACT for 90 days, is set to be sentenced in June.

Special magistrate Sean Richter told the 55-year-old the court would allow him to attend his sentencing via audiovisual link from Victoria.