Lachlan Crittle sentenced for high-range drink driving

Behind the wheel after a night at the pub, a young man who used to sell luxury property on the north shore, crashed into a police car with his Ford Ranger but kept driving blissfully unaware.

A former real estate agent got behind the wheel of his Ford Ranger after drinking at the Berry Hotel before crashing into a parked police car.

Lachlan Crittle was drinking with friends on July 30 when he decided to drive, despite his lawyer telling the court he had originally made plans to stay at a friend‘s place.

Driving his Ford Ranger on the Princes Highway at about 11.20pm, Crittle sideswiped a police car with warning lights activated after stopping another driver.

Lachlan Crittle has been sentenced in Nowra Local Court for high range drink driving.

Failing to pull over after the crash, Crittle continued until police gave chase and stopped him two kilometres up the road.

According to documents tendered to court, when police got out of the car and spoke to Crittle about the crash, he said “I stopped”.

It was then police said they noticed the 25-year-old was “affected by alcohol”.

Crittle admitted to police he had been drinking at the Berry Hotel, telling officers he had his first drink at 7.30pm and his last at about 8.45pm before leaving and going to a friend‘s address.

He told police he had no clue of the size or amount of alcohol consumed, according to police facts.

“No one was injured as a result of the crash, but the potential danger to police and the occupants of the other vehicle was very high as police had been inspecting the underside of the vehicle originally stopped,” police facts state.

Crittle pleaded guilty to high-range drink driving and failing to give particulars to another driver after a crash.

In Nowra Local Court on Monday, his lawyer said it was a “mistake born out of his (Crittle’s) level of intoxication”.

“Unfortunately due to intoxication and lack of light, he didn’t realise he had struck the car,” the lawyer said.

Magistrate Lisa Viney accepted Crittle was remorseful and noted his completion of the traffic offenders program, but had some words of advice for the young man.

“These offences are serious and as you would have learnt from the traffic offenders program, one poor decision could have had catastrophic consequences for road users, including yourself,” she told him.

Crittle was sentenced to a 12-month community corrections order, fined $1000 and disqualified from driving for seven months. He will also have to pay for a mandatory interlock device to be fitted to his car.