Lawnmower man Abrar Alif sentenced to a community corrections order for 12 months after drink driving
A man caught driving his lawnmower down a main street in western Sydney while slurring and swaying in his seat has been sentenced in court.
Fairfield
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Abrar Matin Alif was so drunk when police caught him driving a commercial lawnmower along western Sydney streets that he could barely sit upright, slurred his words and struggled to keep his eyes open.
Alif, a 33-year-old currently on a bridging visa from Bangladesh, appeared in Fairfield Local Court for sentencing, after pleading guilty to driving a Kubota ZG222A-48-AU lawnmower with a 15km/h top speed late last year in Greystanes, along main roads, unregistered and under the influence.
He faced charges of driving while disqualified and high-range drink driving, and a recommendation from NSW Police that he should be denied permanent residency for showing “complete contempt for the laws of NSW”.
Alif told the court he had apologised to the Granville Police officers he had abused following his arrest on November 26.
“I’m very emotional and apologetic about the things I’ve done,” he told the court.
“For acting in a very aggressive manner to NSW Police, and for being disrespectful to Australian laws.
“I’ve apologised to the police officer personally. I’ve apologised to the supervisor of Highway Patrol Cumberland Highway.”
Police said Alif had ridden the unregistered 250kg lawnmower 2km from Pendle Hill to Greystanes, and would’ve had to cross the Great Western Highway at some point to reach the site of his arrest. He registered a blood analysis reading of 0.167.
“His eyes were bloodshot and he was struggling to keep his eyes open,” they said in a statement of facts.
“(He) was slurring his words when speaking (and…) even though he was sitting, he was swaying in the seat.”
They said his application for permanent residency should be refused due to his traffic and drink driving related offences.
“It is of the opinion of the police that his conduct and character is unbecoming of someone who is applying to become a resident of Australia,” NSW Police said in a statement of facts.
Alif’s learner licence expired over seven years ago, and he is already disqualified from driving due to numerous traffic offences until 2021.
Magistrate Theo Tsavdaridis said Alif had presented to the court four times for drink driving-related offences, and three times for driving while disqualified.
“If you haven’t learned the lesson by now, I’m struggling to understand when you will learn the lesson,” he said.
“No penalty other than imprisonment is appropriate.”
Alif was sentenced to a community corrections order for 12 months. His licence was suspended for 12 months and he has been prohibited from consuming drugs and alcohol.