John Prosser: Ulladulla man in Manly court for sixth drink driving conviction

A Magistrate has labelled an Ulladulla man a selfish driver who after he was hit with his sixth drunk driving conviction during sentencing at Manly Local Court.

John Alexander Prosser could be one of the worst drink drivers in NSW.

The 62-year-old has just been convicted of drink driving, in Manly Local Court on Wednesday, for the sixth time.

Five of those DUI offences were for high-range drink driving.

While being sentenced for his sixth drink drive offence — this time for mid-range prescribed concentration of alcohol in his blood with a reading of 0.09 — Prosser was given a verbal tongue lashing by Magistrate Bruce Williams.

John Alexander Prosser, 62, of Ulladulla, outside Manly Courthouse on Wednesday while waiting to be sentenced for his sixth drink driving conviction. Picture: Jim O'Rourke

The magistrate described Prosser's’s driving record as “appalling”. He said he had five previous high-range drink drive convictions and a conviction for driving while disqualified,

“You’re a person who doesn’t really care about public safety,” Mr Williams said.

Mr Williams told Prosser he only cared “for yourself” and that previous court-ordered penalties, which included multiple licence disqualifications “do not seem to deter you”.

A police facts sheet tendered to court stated Prosser, who lives at Ulladulla on the NSW south coast, was charged with the latest DUI offence after police received numerous calls from the public around 9.20pm on November 25 last year.

Prosser was described by callers as the “intoxicated driver” of a Mazda BT-50 ute, towing a builder’s trailer north on the Princes Hwy at Lake Tabourie, about 13kms south of Ulladulla.

When police pulled him over, they recognised him as a man they had seen earlier in the evening drinking beer.

John Prosser was caught drink driving along the Princes Highway between Ulladulla (above) and Lake Tabourie in November 2020. Picture: Bob Barker

The court heard that at Ulladulla Police Station, Prosser admitted to drinking two “long neck” bottles of beer; two “stubbies” of beer and a can of rum and cola between 4pm and 9pm.

His Manly-based solicitor, Ian Byrne, told the court that Prosser had alcohol issues, but had never been to a meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous and never been told about medications that can reduce the craving for alcohol.

John Alexander Prosser, 62, of Ulladulla, outside Manly Courthouse on Wednesday. Picture: Jim O'Rourke

Mr Byrne conceded that Prosser was “precariously close” to being locked up behind bars for the latest offence.

The magistrate agreed.

Mr Williams sentenced Prosser to jail for five months, but ordered that the prison term be served as an Intensive Corrections Order in he community while under the strict supervision of Community Corrections.

As part of the order, Prosser was also banned from drinking alcohol and must seek treatment for his alcohol problem.

He was also disqualified from driving for nine months.