Nathan Austin pleads guilty in Taree court for high range drink driving

The Mid-North Coast tiler knew he was in trouble when he attracted the attention of the police after a big night drinking schooners at a local pub.

Royal Hotel Taree. Picture: Facebook.

A repeat drink driver was told “if you keep going with this type of offending you will find yourself in jail” when he appeared in Taree court.

Nathan Austin pleaded guilty to high range drink driving after a night of drinking at the Royal Hotel in Taree.

The 29-year-old tiler from Cundletown was pulled over just before 4am on December 14 last year when they noticed him travelling along Commerce street with one tail light not working.

According to police facts tendered to court he then turned into another street without indicating and officers activated their sirens and pulled him over.

He had bloodshot eyes and appeared sluggish according to police facts and said “I’m in trouble, I’ve been drinking”.

Nathan Austin.

Austin told them he had seven schooners of Carlton Dry since the previous afternoon at the Royal Hotel and hadn’t eaten anything.

When tested he blew 0.159.

He appeared before Magistrate Allison Hawkins at Taree Local Court on Wednesday, April 12 where he pleaded guilty to high range drink driving.

The court heard this was his third drink driving offence in the past seven years, with them all in the mid range or higher.

Ms Hawkins said it was “disturbing” to see him back before the court and warned him he could end up in jail if he kept drinking and driving.

Austin was convicted and disqualified from driving for 18 months, fined $750 and ordered to complete 80 hours of community service.