Taylor Hall: Sydney bartender charged with high drink driving

A magistrate dealing with a drink-driver caught at more than four times the legal limit has issued a chilling warning about the Oatlands drink-driving tragedy which claimed the lives of four children.

A Sydney bartender was caught drink-driving at more than four times the legal limit after a boozy night out, prompting a magistrate to warn him about the deadly potential consequences of his behaviour.

Taylor Hall, 31, faced Downing Centre Local Court on May 30 where he pleaded guilty to high-range drink-driving after he was caught well over the limit in Broadway on April 24.

Agreed police facts tendered to the court reveal Hall was pulled over by police at a stationary random breath testing site on Broadway at 2.15am that day.

The Newtown man subsequently blew 0.224 – more than a whopping four times the legal blood alcohol limit.

“Police observed the accused’s eyes were bloodshot and he appeared to be having difficulty focusing,” the facts stated.

“The accused stated he had consumed five alcoholic drinks, being two cocktails, two full-strength beers, and a shot of spirits at his workplace and a local bar.”

Taylor Hall, 31, at Downing Centre Local Court.

Hall appeared at court on Monday, where Deputy Chief Magistrate Theo Tsavridis adjourned the matter for sentence to June 20 pending the return of a sentence assessment report.

“This is a fall from grace, 0.224 is an enormously high reading,” Mr Tsavridis said to Hall.

“I keep reminding people, it was only a couple of years ago tat one man in the western suburbs wiped out and killed four children, three from one family, one from another, and leaving yet another permanently brain damaged as a result of drink driving.

“His reading was less than yours.”

Mr Tsavridis acknowledged Hall had accepted responsibility for his actions on the night in question.

“You know there’s a long way to go to address some of the alcohol-related issues identified in the testimonials and in your letter to the court,” he said.

“There will have to be supervision by community corrections so you can get the help you need to get.”

Hall returns to court next month.