Joseph Bustamante charged with drink driving in Bexley

An alleged drunk driver bulldozed through his neighbours’ cars before hitting a tree and attempting to flee in the middle of the day in Sydney’s south on Monday.

A man has been charged with drink driving after he allegedly ploughed into his neighbours' cars on Connemarra St in Bexley.

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An alleged drunk driver bulldozed through his neighbours’ cars before hitting a tree and attempting to flee in the middle of the day, a court has been told.

Joseph Bustamante, 68, was refused bail at Sutherland Local Court today after he was charged with high range drink driving, negligent driving, driving disqualified and driving without an interlock device.

Police allege Bustamante was already disqualified from driving until 2031 when he got behind the wheel of his Subaru at 1.30pm on Monday and drunkenly ploughed through two of his neighbours’ parked cars on Connemarra St in Bexley.

Bustamante allegedly returned a high-range blood alcohol reading of 0.177 when he was arrested after he attempted to leave the crash scene and had to be stopped by a witness who confiscated his keys.

All three vehicles involved had to be towed from the scene, though no-one was injured in the crash.

Magistrate Les Mabbutt said Bustamante had a lengthy history of drink driving.

“He had a mid-range drink driving in 2013, a high-range drink driving in 2005, a mid-range in 2004, refusing to take a breath test in 2009, a driving under the influence in 2000, and a mid-range in 1995,” Mr Mabbutt said.

”He has received good behaviour bonds, suspended sentences, terms of imprisonment – and he was involved in an accident when he should not have been driving in the first place.”

Bustamente’s Legal Aid solicitor Christina Vassiliou said her client knew he had a drinking problem.

“He was abstaining from alcohol but started drinking again last Sunday due to some family issues and his mental health,” Ms Vassiliou said.

“He knows that his record doesn’t assist him and that he is looking at a custodial sentence.”

However, in her argument against bail police prosecutor Ms Rodrigues said the alleged facts were extremely alarming.

“It was 1.15pm on a Monday, it’s safe to assume there would have been a number of people out in the community doing their day to day business,” Ms Rodrigues said.

“It wasn’t just one, it was impact after impact after impact and despite the multiple impacts and the carnage he has continued to try to drive away and it was only a witness and a member of the community who confiscated the keys that prevented that.”

Mr Mabbutt described the allegations as extremely serious.

“It does raise issues of the safety of the community,” Mr Mabbutt said.

“The law allows him to drink as much as he wants at home but when he gets behind the wheel it raises real issues.”

Bustamante will return to Sutherland Local Court to enter pleas on March 25 and will be treated for his glaucoma and high blood pressure while he is in custody.