Tito Moses Winyi: Disqualified Manly Vale drink driver crashed his unregistered car when nearly four times over the limit

A drunk driver, who was close to four times over the limit when he crashed his unregistered car while his licence was disqualified, has been sentenced.

Tito Moses Winyi, 47, a warehouse worker of Manly Vale, outside Manly Local Court on Thursday. Picture: Manly Daily

A northern beaches’ drunk driver, who was nearly four times over the limit when he crashed his unregistered car while his licence was disqualified, has been jailed for 12 months.

But Tito Moses Winyi, 47, of Manly Vale narrowly avoided prison time after Manly Local Court suspended the jail sentence.

Instead, as part of an Intensive Correction Order, Winyi will be free and monitored by parole authorities.

Magistrate Daniel Reiss also ordered that the warehouse worker must complete 100 hours of community service, pay a $1000 fine and that his licence be disqualified for another two years.

The court heard on Thursday that Winyi was driving his Subaru Impreza north along Pittwater Rd at Brookvale at 3.40am on Thursday, February 13. He was headed for McDonalds for a snack.

Tito Moses Winyi outside Manly Local Court on Thursday. Picture: Manly Daily

His car, which had its registration cancelled due to unpaid fines, speared into a median strip near the corner of Orchard Rd and ended up in the middle of the T-junction, with burst front tyres and a badly damaged front end. The car was written off.

Police found Winyi behind the wheel, but he attempted to walk away to avoid arrest, according to a facts sheet tendered to court.

Winyi has avoided jail time. Picture: Manly Daily

A police check revealed that Winyi had his licence disqualified in November last year after being convicted of mid-range drink driving.

He told the officers that the car had been stolen before telling them that the car had just “broken down”.

Winyi was breath tested and blew 0.192.

He pleaded guilty to one count each of high-range drink driving and driving while disqualified.

His Legal Aid solicitor said Winyi had been suffering with some mental health problems and had alcohol problems, exacerbated by a recent breakdown of a relationship.

The solicitor said there was “poor decision making” when Winyi was drinking.

“It’s his drink driving I’m concerned about, not his drinking,” Magistrate Reiss told the solicitor.

“Your record is a matter of concern,” he said to Winyi.

Mr Reiss said there was a “real possibility” that Winyi could have struck another vehicle or a pedestrian with his car “given the level of intoxication”.