Troy Anthony Mackay from Wingham faces Taree court for high-range drink driving

A Mid-North Coast nurse who blew more than six times the legal limit said he had “no idea” how his car got smashed up when police caught up with him after calls for help from the public.

Mackay’s car was found in bad shape at Rotary Park

A nurse who blew more than six times the legal alcohol limit said he had “no idea” how his car got smashed up when police caught up with him after desperate calls from the public.

It’s been almost a year since 48-year-old Troy Anthony Mackay from Wingham got behind the wheel with a dangerous cocktail of valium and alcohol in his system.

Defence lawyer Brooke Drinkwater told Taree court on Tuesday that since the incident her client has been in various forms of rehabilitation, including seven days in detox at Manning Base Hospital at Taree and two stints in residential rehabilitation.

Mackay, who worked as an aged care nurse for 20 years in two different facilities, pleaded guilty to high-range drink driving.

He was found slumped in his car, which was extensively damaged and had both front seat airbags inflated.

Police were alerted to his dangerous driving along Manning River Dr at Taree, where Mackay wove in and out of traffic, about 5.30pm on September 25.

Troy Anthony Mackay leaves Taree court on August 13.

Police state in court documents that Mackay’s car was seen swerving and almost hit an ambulance before officers caught up with him at busy Rotary Park, near Taree’s Manning Aquatic Leisure Centre.

Asked how the vehicle had been damaged, Mackay told officers “no idea”.

He told police he had been drinking at home, while taking valium every two hours for alcohol detoxification, before he got behind the wheel.

A roadside breath test following Mackay’s 13 kilometre journey returned a reading of 0.310.

Back at the station, Mackay blew a follow-up reading of 0.228.

Officers noticed he was slurring his words, unsteady on his feet and fluctuating from being calm to visibly upset.

Rotary Park on Manning Dr, Taree is a busy spot with picnic tables and playing fields.

In court, Ms Drinkwater told the magistrate Mackay had been using valium to help detox from alcohol, but when he learnt his partner was leaving him he relapsed and made the unfortunate decision to drive.

She said Mackay, who has a mid-range drink driving conviction from 2015, recently re-partnered and found work at the Wingham abattoirs.

Magistrate Sharon Crews recognised considerable steps Mackay has taken to fight alcoholism and acknowledged the “stressful nature” of nursing. She told the court “people often in that line of work resort to alcohol” as a result.

She urged Mackay to abstain from drinking and asked him: “Can you do that?”.

“Yes ma’am,” Mackay replied.

He was convicted of high-range drink driving and ordered to serve a six-month intensive correction order. Mackay was disqualified from driving for 12 months.

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