Brent Mullavey: Moruya man sentenced after drunken joy ride

A driver who mounted a footpath and obliterated his front bumper after crashing twice in a drunken joy ride has been sentenced, with a magistrate saying it’s a “miracle no one was killed”.

Brent Mullavey outside Batemans Bay Local Court. Picture: Tom McGann

A driver who mounted a footpath and obliterated his front bumper after crashing twice during a drunken joy ride has been sentenced, with a magistrate saying it’s a “miracle no one was killed”.

Brent Mullavey, 32, appeared in Batemans Bay Local Court on Monday for sentencing after the horrendous display of driving from Nelligen to Batemans Bay on October 29 last year.

Court documents state the Moruya man downed two Great Northern schooners and two Jagermeister cans before driving a Toyota Yaris onto the Nelligen Bridge footpath and slamming into the railing before continuing to drive along the pedestrian walkway.

In Batemans Bay Local Court on Monday, Magistrate Roger Clisdell said if pedestrians were walking along the bridge at the time, they would have needed to “jump into the river or onto the highway”.

“You’re lucky no one was on the bridge,” he said.

Brent Mullavey was sentenced in the Batemans Bay Local Court on Monday. Picture: Tom McGann

“It’s a miracle no one was injured or killed.”

Facts state Mullavey continued driving along Kings Hwy before witnesses informed police.

Brent Mullavey blew .196. Picture: Tom McGann

Mullavey then sped through the Batemans Bay town centre, running a red light.

The facts also state Mullavey lost his front bumper while driving through the CBD, after hitting an embankment at full speed.

Police eventually stopped the 32-year-old south of Batemans Bay at the council depot.

Facts state Mullavey became “belligerent” and “argumentative” with the officers, demanding they turn cameras off. He claimed he could not be subject to a breath test given he was no longer driving the car.

The officers conducted a breath test which returned a result of .196 – four times the legal limit.

Mullavey was taken to Batemans Bay Police Station, where his licence was immediately suspended. He was then hit with charges of high range drink driving and drive furiously at speed.

During his sentencing, Mullavey’s lawyer, Keeley Boom, said her client understood his errors after completing the Traffic Offenders Program.

“He knows now that it was a very stupid thing to do,” she said.

Ms Boom also revealed her client had been sober since the incident.

Mr Clisdell said it was an “extreme example” of drink driving.

Mullavey was convicted, sentenced to an 18 month community correction order, fined $2000, ordered to complete 120 hours of community service and had his licence disqualified for 12 months.

The court also ordered an interlock device to be installed into Mullavey’s vehicle for an additional 12 months upon the return of his licence.

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