Joshua Glanville, 30 sentenced over mid-range PCA and negligent driving

A P-plater who downed six beers before going for a drive ‘to clear his head’ – before he flipped his car in a bid to dodge a fox he saw on the highway – has faced court.

Josh Glanville leaves Penrith Local Court

A P-Plater who downed six beers before going for a drive – to clear his head – and then flipped his car after seeing a fox has faced court.

Joshua Glanville, 36 of Belmore appeared at Penrith Local Court after pleading guilty to negligent driving and mid range PCA.

Agreed police facts tendered to the court state in the early hours of December 21, Glanville was driving down the Great Western Hwy at Springwood.

A lawyer appearing for Glanville told the court his client had “downed about five or six beers” and had no prior intention of getting behind the wheel, until an argument broke out with his partner.

In a bid to avoid further confrontation with his partner, Glanville who was on his red P’s at the time decided to go for a drive to “clear his head,” the lawyer said.

Then while driving down the highway at around 80 km/ph Glanvile came into contact with a fox and swerved in a bid to dodge the animal, the court heard.

According to agreed facts, Glanville then lost control of the vehicle causing it to flip on its roof and roll over a concrete traffic island, before coming to rest on its wheels in the east bound lane.

After the smash Glanville drove his “substantially damaged” vehicle around 20 metres from the scene of the impact and parked at a nearby shoulder.

A short time later at around 1:30am police driving down the highway observed a large amount of glass and debris scattered across east bound lanes with Glanville and his vehicle parked nearby.

Police approached Glanville and asked if he consumed any alcohol to which he replied:

“I’m definitely going to go over,” before supplying a breath sample.

An ambulance then arrived to asses him and take a blood sample, which later gave a result of having 0.144 grams of alcohol per 100mml of blood, which the court heard was “just below the high range.”

Penrith local court

Glanville’s lawyer told the court his client was remorseful for the “massive error” and “significant lack of judgement’, and he was otherwise a man of good character and had since steered away from drinking.

In sentencing Magistrate Stephen Corry accepted the offending was out of character but noted, “the reading was very high.”

“I note in your letter to the court you understand the risk you were placing yourself in, and you refer to the fact your family could have lost you and it’s fortunate they didn’t.”

Glanville was convicted to a 12 months community correctional order and fined $1300. His license was suspended for $6 months after which he must abide by a mandatory interlock order.