Stephen Hannigan: Zetland builder five times over limit in Tamworth crash

A Sydney builder got behind the wheel of his car while five-times over the limit when visiting a country town, a court heard. The result was disastrous.

A carpenter from an inner suburb of Sydney has narrowly avoided jail time for ploughing his Ford Falcon into parked cars in country NSW while driving almost five times over the legal alcohol limit.

Stephen Hannigan, 30, from Zetland, was arrested soon after the drunken crash on the night of Saturday, March 27 in East Tamworth and returned a breath analysis of 0.232.

The impact of the crash on Carthage St caused his Falcon sedan to spin 180 degrees and left three parked vehicles in need of extensive repair.

Fortunately, no-one was injured including Hannigan or his passenger.

Stephen Hannigan outside court.

Magistrate Jane Mottley said his actions to get behind the wheel heavily intoxicated put the public and both occupants of his vehicle at risk.

“I don’t know Tamworth that well but I imagine at 8pm – it is not 2am – there are likely to be people around,” she said.

“Drinking and driving is a crime. And it is my view that this is not trivial or an ordinary example of high range drink driving.

“There must be a stern penalty imposed on you.”

Magistrate Mottley sentenced Hannigan to a nine-month prison sentence to be served by way of intensive correction in the community on Monday (May 31) at Downing Centre Local Court, meaning he narrowly avoided being sent to jail.

Downing Centre Local Court.

He was also ordered to complete 180 hours of community service work and convicted for high-range drink driving.

His lawyer had earlier told the court his client should have booked a taxi or uber, but stated it was tougher to find a taxi or uber in a country town like Tamworth.

He also told the court Hannigan had been in Tamworth for work but is based in Sydney.

Hannigan has been living in Australia since 2007 and hails from Ireland.

As part of his sentence, he has been banned from holding a driver’s licence for six months and must hold an interlock licence for a further two years following that disqualification.