James Cacitti: Mt Colah man sentenced for drink driving, damaging property

When a young man was given the boot from a watering hole in Sydney’s northwest, he took matters into his own hands by launching a glass bottle at the venue’s door.

The Railway Hotel in Hornsby

A young man’s penchant for alcohol has seen him break the law on two occasions in the space of 15 days, including a drunken drive and smashing a venue’s window with a glass bottle.

Mt Colah man James Cacitti, 26, supported by his parents, appeared before Hornsby Local Court on Wednesday to be sentenced for damaging property and drink driving.

The court heard Cacitti, a P-plate driver was pulled over for a breath test on the Pacific Hwy, at Artarmon on September 13.

He told police officers he had one pint of beer at the pub and returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.019.

The court heard he had two previous offences of drink driving, in 2018 and 2021 respectively.

James Cacitti.

Just over a fortnight later Cacitti was again involved in an alcohol-fuelled incident.

According to documents tendered to court, Cacitti entered The Railway Hotel at Hornsby carrying a brown paper bag which contained alcohol.

The Railway Hotel in Hornsby.

“(After he was asked to leave) Cacitti was walking along the footpath out the front of The Railway Hotel where he threw the brown paper bag containing the glass alcoholic beverage at the glass entrance to the Railway Hotel before walking off,” court documents state. “As a result, the glass door smashed”.

His lawyer Seth Gibbard told the court alcohol was clearly the problem and all Cacitti’s offending related to his abuse of alcohol.

He said his client had “unwavering” family support and was taking steps to rehabilitate, adding the 26-year-old had also paid to fix the shattered glass window.

Mr Gibbard described the smashing of the glass window as “amateurish … impulsive and unplanned”.

Magistrate Justin Peach agreed alcohol was clearly at the heart of the young man’s issues.

“Your abuse of alcohol … has been compounding for some years and has brought you before the court for reasonably serious matters,” Mr Peach said.

For drink driving, Mr Peach convicted Cacitti and fined him $660. Cacitti’s licence was also disqualified for three months and he must hold an interlock drivers licence for 13 months after the period of disqualification ends.

Cacitti was also found guilty of damaging property but was not convicted, instead he was sentenced to an 18-month conditional release order (CRO).