Amber Lukunic: Thirroul drink driver sentenced
A suspended, slurring driver who was caught drink driving for the second time in two months with her toddler in the car has been told she should “thank a higher being” that no-one was hurt or killed due to her actions.
St George Shire Standard
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A suspended, slurring motorist who was caught drink driving for the second time in two months with her toddler in the car has narrowly escaped full-time imprisonment.
Amber Lukunic, 44, was charged with high range drink driving on March 27, just seven weeks after she was suspended and penalised for low range drink driving.
The landscape architect had travelled from Thirroul north of Wollongong to Menai in the Sutherland Shire to collect her three-year-old son when she was pulled over by police near Waterfall for exceeding the speed limit.
A subsequent breath test returned a result of 0.183 – more than three times the regular blood alcohol limit of 0.05, and more than nine times the 0.02 limit for suspended drivers.
At Sutherland Local Court Magistrate Scott Nash emphasised the offending was extraordinarily serious.
“Ms Lukunic you were fined $572 for low range drink driving, and a month and a bit later you made the same decision,” Mr Nash said.
“This is a very serious matter – I can’t underline the words, very serious, any more.”
Lukunic was convicted and sentenced to a 12-month prison term to be served in the community as an intensive corrections order, a 10-month driving disqualification, a four-year interlock order, and $2550 in fines.
She will also have to perform 100 hours of community service, report to Wollongong Community Corrections for supervision and abstain from alcohol completely for 12 months.
“You were driving with your three-year-old son in your car, and this is the most troubling aspect for the court,” Mr Nash said.
“You can only thank a greater being that no-one was seriously hurt or killed – you were driving for a considerable distance while under the influence of alcohol, and you did expose road users and pedestrians to your error.”
The court heard Lukunic had undertaken the traffic offenders’ program and had received medical treatment for excessive alcohol consumption and anxiety.