Sydney magistrate slams drink driver who wore shorts to court
The right to bare legs has been cut off by a Sydney magistrate after a woman charged with driving at more than double the legal blood alcohol limit appeared in court wearing cutoff denim shorts that left little to the imagination.
The right to bare legs has been cut off by a Sydney magistrate after a woman charged with driving at more than double the legal blood alcohol limit appeared in court wearing thigh-high denim shorts.
Sutherland Local Court Magistrate Jayeann Carney asked Barbara Diana Vasconcello Cardenas, 37, if she had a jumper she could tie around her waist to supplement her tiny denim shorts during her court appearance.
“What I’m going to say is it is completely inappropriate to wear cut off denim shorts up to your thighs in court,” Ms Carney told Vasconcello Cardenas through a Spanish interpreter.
“I’m very tolerant to all types of attire but this is beach attire, what you’re wearing.
“This is a court. Do you appreciate what I’ve said?”
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The Peakhurst resident caught officers’ attention on December 22 because she was driving with her lights out on Belmore Rd in Riverwood.
Vasconcello Cardenas then ran up the back of another car which had stopped at a pedestrian crossing after police activated their warning lights to pull her over.
“The accused began to brake but collided with the rear of the Mazda 3, causing minor damage,” agreed police facts stated.
“The accused was breath tested and returned a positive result.”
The Mazda driver tested negative but Vasconcello Cardenas returned a blood alcohol result of 0.117 after a breath analysis at Kogarah police station.
She pleaded guilty and was fined $400, disqualified from driving for three months and ordered to hold an interlock licence for 12 months following her disqualification.
Vasconcello Cardenas is a Chilean national in Australia on a bridging visa while she works as a cleaner, and on social media said she previously worked for several different banks in Chile.
Vasconcello Cardenas and her interpreter declined to answer questions about her fashion choice following her court appearance.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who hails proudly from Cronulla’s shorts-wearing, thongs-loving community near Sutherland Local Court, recently banned beach attire at formal events prior to Australia Day citizenship ceremonies.
In an interview with 2GB the Prime Minister said if it was not appropriate for court, it was not appropriate for citizenship ceremonies.
“There needs to be appropriate standards of dress, I wouldn’t turn up to my kids’ graduation wearing thongs,” he told 2GB.
“If someone appeared in court in thongs you wouldn’t be terribly happy. Why not? Because it’s not showing proper respect.”
The St George Shire Standard has previously spotted the Shire’s Prime Minister at Wanda Beach in his cap and boardies after enjoying a midafternoon swim.
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