Lawrence William Rockell: Dubbo car dealer escapes jail time after blowing four times the legal limit

A magistrate has torn a Dubbo car dealer to shreds after he failed to make alternative arrangements to get home following his 60th birthday party. Read what the magistrate had to say.

A Dubbo car dealer blowing four times the legal limit when stopped by police has narrowly escaped full-time imprisonment, a court has heard.

Lawrence William Rockell appeared in Dubbo Local Court on Wednesday, pleading guilty to high-range drink driving following his arrest in the early hours of August 6, the day after his 60th birthday at the Western Star Hotel.

According to documents tendered to court, police were conducting patrols through the streets of Dubbo when they stopped Rockell on Macleay Street for a roadside breath test, which returned a positive result.

He was taken to Dubbo Police station for further testing, recording a reading of 0.213, and officers stated Rockell “appeared well affected” from alcohol.

Rockell told police he started drinking at 7pm, finishing up at 2am, minutes before his arrest.

The Western Star Hotel where Lawrence Rockell celebrated his 60th birthday before he was arrested for high-range drink driving. Picture: Facebook

According to the facts, he drank four Carlton Dry beers and “approximately two unknown mixed spirits” throughout the night.

In court on Wednesday, Magistrate Roger Prowse described Rockell as having “a gutful” of alcohol, saying “you’re lying” when telling police about how many drinks he consumed.

Rockell’s defence lawyer Mr Collin-Ward accepted that his client was facing a custodial sentence, given he has been charged with his “third PCA [offence] in 25 years”.

He spoke on the “irony” of Rockell’s employment with the offence, revealing his client is about to be promoted to principal dealer of a local car dealership.

It was further explained Rockell had lost his only sibling to a motor vehicle accident in the last fortnight, saying he has faced “extra-curial punishment” as a result.

He told Magistrate Prowse while there was no regard for public safety, there were no victims, and it was only a short trip, despite his client admitting to making no alternative arrangements to get home.

Magistrate Prowse rejected the defence lawyers’ submissions, saying the “good people in Dubbo could have been out” on the roads.

“You’re facing a jail sentence. You don’t seem to learn … you present a danger to the community,” Magistrate Prowse told Rockell.

“Here you were apparently excited about this change of date, and you deliberately started pouring down alcohol with two hands.

“What you didn’t do was make arrangements to drive home or [even] stay there.”

Mr Prowse convicted Rockell and sentenced him to an intensive corrections order for 12 months, where he must abstain from alcohol.

Rockell was fined $2100 and disqualified from driving for nine months with a 24-month interlock licence imposed.

“What you’re going to do is tip your drinks down the sink, [you need to] remove the temptation,” Mr Prowse said.