Luke McMillan: Lane Cove man blew four times the alcohol limit after Kensington crash

A senior technician at the Australian Turf Club facing his fifth drink driving offence after crashing drunk into a concrete bollard has faced the wrath of a magistrate. Here’s why.

Luke McMillan outside Waverley Local Court on February 1.

A senior technician at the Australian Turf Club who crashed into a concrete bollard while driving more than four times over the limit has narrowly escaped a stint in jail.

Luke McMillan, of Lane Cove, appeared at Waverley Local Court on Wednesday after previously pleading guilty to high-range drink driving.

Agreed facts tendered to court reveal the 42-year-old was driving on Doncaster Ave, Kensington about 9.30pm on December 1 when he collided with a concrete bollard.

Police arrived a short time later and were told McMillan had left the scene, with his fiancee directing police to her own car nearby, where he was found in the back seat.

McMillan “smelt heavily” of intoxicating liquor as he told police he was the driver of the car involved in the crash. He later refused to answer questions from police, saying he wasn’t involved in any accidents.

Waverley Court House. Picture by Damian Shaw

The 42-year-old man then returned a positive result to a roadside breath test, before being arrested and taken to Maroubra police station where he recorded a reading of 0.219.

Agreed facts indicate McMillan said he had six beers after work.

In court on Wednesday, McMillan’s lawyer Mr Webb told the court his client, despite previous drink driving offences, hadn’t re-offended in ten years and had “done everything he can to address the issue”.

This included completing the traffic offender’s program and 20 sessions of the SMART Recovery program.

The court heard McMillan had experienced a “pretty high degree of embarrassment and shame” from the offence.

However, Magistrate Ross Hudson said this was McMillan’s fifth drink driving offence and it seemed the message was “not getting through to him”.

Despite Mr Webb saying McMillan’s offending wasn’t worthy of a jail sentence, Magistrate Hudson said he had “catapulted” above the threshold.

He told the court there was no way McMillan “could have felt” okay to get behind the wheel.

McMillan was placed on a 12 month intensive correction order (ICO), ordered to complete 80 hours of community service, disqualified for seven months and must abstain from alcohol for three months.

“In 2013 for mid-range, you were sent to jail, subject to an appeal it was pulled back to an ICO,” Magistrate Hudson said.

“Why wasn’t that the point where you say that alcohol, motor vehicles, roads and my behaviour stops now … forever? The risk you’re putting other people at … is obscene and … it should be made clear to every person in this state at least … if you drink you do not drive full stop.”