Port Macquarie’s Nicole Piper unable to tell magistrate why she drove while drunk

A Port Macquarie woman is lucky she didn’t injure or kill someone before police caught her drunk behind the wheel at around 2am, a magistrate has warned.

A Port Macquarie woman is lucky she didn’t injure or kill someone before police caught her drunk behind the wheel in the early hours of the morning, a magistrate has warned.

On Wednesday, 37-year-old Nicole Piper pleaded guilty in Port Macquarie Local Court to driving while under the influence of alcohol earlier this year.

At 2.05am on Sunday, April 3, police observed Piper travelling west in her vehicle on Gordon St.

After driving alongside the car, police parted ways with Piper at a roundabout.

By 2.10am, police were stopped on Gore St when the same vehicle turned off the main road and started travelling towards them.

Police followed the vehicle onto Waugh St and turned right into Hollingworth St, observing Piper driving in an erratic manner, swerving within its lane and narrowly missing parked cars.

The vehicle stopped into a driveway at a unit block, where police pulled over and asked Piper to exit the vehicle.

She did so, showing officers her QLD licence.

According to the agreed facts, police believed the accused was unsteady on her feet, her speech slurred, and she smelt strongly of alcohol.

Piper’s eyes were red and bloodshot and her clothes were dishevelled.

Police breath tested Piper, who told officers “you don’t need to because I’m going to be over” before returning a positive result.

The driver appeared “well affected” by alcohol, according to police.

She was arrested and taken to Port Macquarie Police Station where she refused to answer any questions about her alcohol consumption.

In court on Wednesday Piper’s lawyer, Mr Pahalawela, told the court his client usually doesn’t consume alcohol but she had been drinking that night after receiving some distressing news.

When the magistrate asked why she made the decision to drive while intoxicated, Piper was unable to provide a reasonable explanation.

Mr Pahalawela said the incident has, in-part, led to his client being evicted from her community housing unit.

Piper appeared at Port Macquarie Local Court on Wednesday.

Upon admitting that other complaints also played a part in Piper’s eviction, Magistrate Georgina Darcy retorted “I don’t think they would take your home away for drink driving in the driveway”.

Ms Darcy noted the seriousness of driving while under the influence, informing Piper it was a “significant” charge that could land the offender behind bars for up to 18 months.

The magistrate stressed the danger Piper had put herself and others in, with Ms Darcy saying she “couldn’t imagine why” anyone would get behind the wheel while drunk.

“Imagine how your children would feel if their mother ended up in jail for injuring or killing someone (while drink driving),” Ms Darcy said.

The magistrate also noted Piper’s erratic driving was an aggravating factor, as was her record.

“You don’t have the best traffic record,” Ms Darcy said in relation to Piper’s numerous speeding offences.

Piper was convicted and sentenced to a supervised Community Correction Order for a period of 12 months, including supervision and 50 hours of community service.

She is disqualified from holding any driver’s licence for nine months, and must hold an interlock licence thereafter.