Fredrick Blencke: Sydney banker arrested for drink driving in Byron Bay

A former high-flying Sydney banker blew a reading more than three times the legal limit when pulled over following a boozy Byron Bay dinner, while on bail for allegedly assaulting his then-wife.

Dinner and glasses of red wine at an Italian restaurant near the exclusive coastal enclave of Byron Bay has brought a disgraced financier back to court after he was discovered driving well over the legal limit.

The former high-flying banker Fredrick Blencke, 49, frequently photographed among Sydney’s social clique appeared at court on Friday expecting to be sentenced for high-range drink driving while on bail for unrelated charges.

Instead, the Vaucluse man left court all smiles after the sentencing was pushed back as Magistrate Juliana Crofts had been unwell and off work with Covid and the winter flu.

Blencke’s lawyer Phillip English took the opportunity to raise his “concern” over submissions made by police last time the parties were in court and pushed for the matter to be heard as soon as possible.

“Mr Blencke is keen to see the matter finalised,” Mr English said.

Fredrick Blencke outside court on Friday.

The 49-year-old had pleaded guilty to drink driving at an earlier date.

The police prosecutor told the court he did not have access to documents needed to respond to the concerns raised.

According to facts tendered to court about 8.50pm on February 22 police stopped Blencke’s silver Mercedes on Byron St, Byron Bay for a random breath test as he was driving home from fashionable Ciao restaurant in Bangalow.

Freddie Blencke.

When asked to show his drivers licence the banker presented police with “a weathered piece of paper that resembled a copy of a UK driver’s licence” along with a Swedish passport, court documents state.

Blencke’s breath smelled of alcohol, his movements were slow and sluggish, and his speech was “confused”, leading police to arrest him and take him to Byron Bay police station.

There, the Vaucluse man told police he had drunk three glasses of red wine at dinner in the space of two hours.

However, court facts state police believe he was well affected by alcohol after returning a positive reading of 0.183g of alcohol in 210L of breath.

Freddie Blencke with his former wife Annabelle Price.

Court documents state Blencke’s arrest breached his bail conditions to not be intoxicated by alcohol or drugs in a public place, and his drivers licence was suspended.

Blencke, who previously worked for UBS, Goldman Sachs and Bell Potter, has seen his prestigious job and marriage fall away after appearing in court multiple times.

The litany of charges have seen his formerly gilt life come undone.

Blencke has been charged with the assault of his former wife Annabelle Price at a children’s hospital and contravening an AVO. He has pleaded not guilty and defending the allegations.

Earlier this year Blencke was sentenced in Waverley Local Court to a 12-month community corrections order and fined $750 after pleading guilty to assaulting a police officer and staying in the vicinity of a licensed premises after being asked to leave.

The banker called police officers on the scene “c**s” and kicked a policeman in the head after appearing to slur his words and making sexual advances towards a staff member at glamorous Bondi hotel Ravesis last April.

The drink driving matter will return to court next month.