Olivia Mir: School teacher charged with mid-range drink driving

A school teacher went out with colleagues and planned to sleep in her car at Caringbah train station after getting too drunk to drive home. Find out how police nabbed her.

A school teacher has gotten off scot-free in court after she drove a short distance while drunk after planning to sleep in her car at Caringbah train station.

Olivia Paige Mira, 29, was charged with mid-range drink driving and appeared in Sutherland Local Court on Thursday.

Agreed facts tendered to court said Mir, who lives in Caringbah South, drove her white Holden Barina in a circular direction in the car park adjacent to Hay Ave about 2am on July 12 this year.

Police stopped her for a mobile random breath test with officers noting Mir was “seriously affected by intoxicating liquor”. They observed a smell emanating from her, bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and she was unsteady.

School teacher Olivia Mir did not have a conviction recorded after was charged with mid-range drink driving. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

Court documents state that Mir blew a positive result before she was arrested and taken to Sutherland Police Station. Mir underwent a second breath analysis and returned a reading of 0.082.

She said she had consumed six or seven drinks in the 11 hours prior.

In court on Thursday, Mir’s lawyer Simon O’Toole said his client had gone out drinking with other teachers during the school holidays but she had intended to be sober and drive home.

However, she drank too much and knew she couldn’t drive so she planned to sleep in her car at the train station.

The court heard Mir moved her car to a safer location because it was on a slope, when she was stopped by police.

Olivia Mir was arrested when she had a big night out, planned to sleep in her car at Caringbah train station but moved her vehicle to a safe spot. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

Mr O’Toole said his client was “tormented” about receiving a conviction for the charge because it would likely impact her future work goals, noting she planned to leave Australia in October to teach in the United Kingdom.

The court heard Mir was a woman of prior good character and no criminal history, with three driving offences on her record prior to 2017.

Mr O’Toole said Mir had completed the traffic offenders program and was remorseful, adding she had not driven for two months while suspended.

Magistrate Hugh Donnelly said Mir made “poor decisions” that night, and sleeping in her car at a train station was not a good “plan B” option.

He noted she only drove a short journey and the reading was just above the mid-range before imposing a conditional release order with no conviction for 12 months.

“This is an exceptional order made by the court but in the circumstances it is warranted,” Magistrate Donnelly said.