Syed Hossain sentenced for high range drink driving on M5

A Mortdale man was abusive and erratic towards police after he was caught 30km/h above the speed limit and four times over the alcohol level.

Syed Shah Hossain, 43, pleaded guilty to high range drink driving and was sentenced in Sutherland Local Court on Tuesday. Picture: Ashleigh Tullis

A used-car salesman has avoided going to jail for speeding while being four times over the alcohol limit.

Syed Shah Hossain, 43, pleaded guilty to high range drink driving and was sentenced in Sutherland Local Court on Tuesday.

Agreed facts tendered to court said Hossain, who lives in Mortdale, was driving along the M5 at Riverwood on January 1 about 10.15pm when officers pulled him over for exceeding the limit by 31km/h.

Hossain skipped several safe locations to stop before eventually doing so inside the M8 tunnel, and officers suspected he was intoxicated.

Hossain could not follow simple directions and tested positive in a breath test.

He was arrested and taken to Riverwood police station where he returned a result of 0.218, more than four times the legal limit, and his licence was suspended.

Hossain’s behaviour was erratic, at times being cooperative then aggressive, telling officers he earned more money than them, up to $150,000, and said they were “only little fish” and had no authority.

He demanded officers take him home, swore and filmed them and refused to leave the station.

Syed Shah Hossain was sentenced for drink driving in Sutherland Local Court on Tuesday.

The court heard Hossain was convicted of high range drink driving in 2009 and spent eight years off the road before he was convicted of a police pursuit in 2017.

Defence lawyer Wayne Pasterfield conceded his client’s traffic record was poor.

He said Hossain had seen a psychologist since his arrest where he was diagnosed with depression, alcohol and gambling disorders.

Mr Pasterfield said for the first time Hossain had divulged his traumatic childhood, marriage and cultural issues that led to his addictions.

He said he was now receiving regular counselling and was taking medication.

Mr Pasterfield said Hossain’s behaviour towards police was due to his client’s own insecurities about himself.

Magistrate Phillip Stewart said the community needed to be protected because the offence was the third major one on his record, and his ability to control a car that night was compromised.

He noted Hossain was addressing his underlying issues.

Hossain was sentenced to a jail term to be served in the community for 12 months, will have an interlock device fitted to his car for four years and was disqualified from driving for nine months.

He will also have to pay a $1800 fine and complete 200 hours of community service while continuing treatment.