Cody Sipple from Macksville in court for high range drink driving at Nambucca

A slurring, dishevelled Mid-North Coast council worker, who blew one of the highest blood alcohol readings a magistrate has ever seen, has been sentenced.

Cody Sipple at Macksville Local Court on February 6 after being sentenced for high range drink driving.

A slurring, dishevelled Mid-North Coast council worker, who blew one of the highest blood alcohol readings a magistrate has ever seen, has been sentenced.

Cody Sipple appeared before Magistrate Julia Virgo for sentencing at Macksville Local Court on Thursday after pleading guilty to high range drink driving.

Ms Virgo told Sipple that his reading of 0.335 was “close to the highest level I have seen” - later adding that “the fact you were conscious is a source of amazement to me”.

The 27-year-old from Macksville was supported in court by his mother and represented by lawyer Scott James who outlined the sequence of events leading up to Sipple’s arrest.

He said his client, who works for Nambucca Council, made the impulsive decision to drink alcohol he had in the back of his car near the Nambucca River along Giinagay Way on the evening of November 8 last year.

Cody Sipple at Macksville Local Court on February 6 after being sentenced for high range drink driving.

Mr James said he then made “the foolish decision” to drive the short distance home but “realised it was not a good idea” and tried to back up into an unmarked rest area.

It was not like he was “hurtling down the highway,” Mr James said.

According to police facts, officers travelling north noticed the front half of Sipple’s 2008 white Nissan R33 partially blocking the southbound lane of Giinagay Way about 9pm.

Officers stopped and found Sipple sitting alone in the car in the driver’s seat looking dishevelled.

Giinagay Way hugs the Nambucca River between Nambucca Heads and Macksville.

He was unable to walk straight and was slurring his words according to police documents.

Mr James told the court Sipple has been abstinent from alcohol since the incident, except for a few drinks on Christmas Day.

The court heard that Sipple had two prior drink driving offences on his record: a mid-range in 2017 and low-range in 2019.

Mr James said Sipple had ramped up his alcohol use in recent times - self medicating following an accident in 2023 which left him with facial fractures and feeling paranoid about his appearance.

Rather than a custodial sentence Sipple has been ordered to serve an 18-month intensive corrections order and perform 150 hours of community service.

He has been fined $1000 and disqualified from driving for nine months and banned from entering any licensed premises except for licensed restaurants.

Ms Virgo has ordered that he abstain from alcohol and that police officers can attend his house to conduct random testing.