Taliah Read: Peak Hill L-plater caught drink driving twice

A teen who nearly took out traffic sign was caught drink driving twice in a two-hour period after a New Year’s Eve bender of Moscato and Cruisers.

A Peak Hill L-plater who got sloshed on New Year’s Eve and was caught drink driving twice, within the space of two hours, the next morning has been spared jail.

Taliah Patricia Read came to the attention of police at 4am on January 1 when she spotted behind the wheel of her cousin’s Toyota Camry which was stopped in the middle of the road on Fitzroy Street.

Peak Hill learner driver Taliah Read. Picture: Facebook/Taliah Read

In court documents police said when the 18-year-old was told to move the car off the road she nearly took out a traffic sign.

“I don’t have my wallet and I have a learner licence,” Read told police.

After a test of Read’s breath was conducted a reading of .137 came back and she was charged with mid-range drink driving.

According to police, because of how drunk Read was, she appeared cheerful, giggling and smiling.

“See I told you I was gonna get locked up tonight,” Read boasted to another woman who was in the car with her but not authorised to supervise the learner driver.

Not content with committing one offence, Read got back on the road and was caught again by police at 6.24am on Erskine Street.

“I’ve already been arrested and charged today,” Read told police who pulled her up.

On New Year’s Eve, the day before the drink driving, Read said she started drinking at 2pm and had an unknown amount of Moscato and Blueberry Vodka Cruisers.

A vodka cruiser similar to the one Taliah Read consumed on New Year’s Eve.

Police said she smelt of alcohol and was emotional after being caught a second time and returning a breath test reading of .111.

In Dubbo Local Court Read pleaded guilty to two counts of mid-range drink driving and one count of driving while her licence was suspended.

Defence lawyer Joshua Hammer said Read’s behaviour was “stupid” and she had completed a traffic offender program.

Read needed her licence because public transport options were limited in Peak Hill and she needed to drive herself to TAFE because she wants to become a beautician, Mr Hammer said.

Dubbo Local Court magistrate Gary Wilson said Taliah Read’s case was a rare one. Picture: Jedd Manning

Magistrate Gary Wilson said Read would have likely known she was still over the limit when she got back in the behind the wheel after being charged the first time.

“It’s very rare that someone gets charged with the same offence twice in a matter of hours,” he said.

“Why you chose to drive the second time is beyond comprehension.

“Your licence was suspended at the time of the first offence which was about 4am. Then two hours later you’re back behind the wheel … no reason has been put to the court as to why you chose to do that.”

Read was convicted, disqualified from driving for three months, placed on a community corrections order for 12 months, fined more than $1000 and ordered to pay for an alcohol interlock device to be installed in any car she drives for 12 months.