Cesar Medina caught high-range drink-driving, speeding in Berowra with pregnant wife in car
A Wiley Park man has been sentenced after he was caught high-range drink-driving and speeding with his pregnant wife in the car.
Hornsby
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A man who’d been drinking at a baby shower was caught high-range drink-driving, speeding and flashing high beams with his pregnant wife in the car.
Cesar Mauricio Medina Rojas, 41, of Wiley Park pleaded guilty to a raft of charges including drive with high-range PCA, use high beam on vehicle in front and not display P-plates on August 2.
According to police facts, about 8.45pm Medina was driving a company car registered to Libra Services PTY LTD and was travelling south bound on the M1 in Berowra.
Police first noticed the vehicle at the Hawkesbury River Bridge when it was “swerving” and began to follow, witnessing the car speed up to 114km/h in a 110km/h zone, failing to indicate right when changing lanes and flashing the vehicle’s high beams three times at a motorist, police facts state.
Shortly after officers stopped the driver and discovered an open bottle of beer in the centre of the drink holder which his wife claimed to be hers, court documents reveal.
He was subjected to a breath test and returned a positive result, and was taken to Hornsby police station for the purpose of a second test.
Medina told police he had consumed “two bottles of Coopers Pale Ale at 2pm that afternoon” and returned another reading of 0.163.
During court proceedings Medina’s lawyer Sal Sapupo told Magistrate Louise McManus his client should have realised he was over the limit.
“His wife is pregnant and they were at a baby shower and was drinking there. The wife was in the car,” Mr Sapupo said.
“They went to a baby shower, they were drinking to excess. Your honour there’s no explanation in the sense he should have realised how much he’d had to drink. There is an aggravating factor with the fact he has his wife there. If you’re drinking you don’t drive so I’ve explained that to him”.
“So there’s a couple of factors. His income is $1100 a week but he’s paying $350 in rent and has four dependants.”
But Magistrate McManus said it was “irresponsible” and flashing high beam lights at his friends was not a joke.
“What you should be ashamed about is your pregnant wife in the car. You’re carrying on like a teenager driving a car and you’re drunk. I keep saying to people ``think about what could have happened that night,” Magistrate McManus said.
“You could have had an accident and killed yourself. Think about the 11-year-old and to be born baby, or what if you killed your wife. And what’s really disturbing is not just the speeding, the lights and pregnant passengers but you’ve got alcohol in the car sitting there.
“I know you said it was hers [Medina’s wife] but I think she’s covering for you if she’s pregnant. So in all ways you’ve behaved irresponsibly.
“Commit another offence like this and the court will be looking at a custodial sentence. You have so many people depending on you, if you have a drinking problem, address it.”
Medina was convicted and received a community corrections order for 12 months. He was also disqualified for a period of seven months and ordered to undertake an interlock period of two years.
Further, he received a monetary penalty of $314.