Reyne de Lepervanche: Actor and model sentenced for high-range drink-driving

An actor and model who has featured in government-funded campaigns and in Weet-Bix advertisements has been sentenced for smashing into a parked car while three times over the legal blood alcohol limit.

A Sydney actor and model who has appeared in state government-funded campaigns has been caught driving more than three times the legal blood alcohol limit at Bondi Beach.

Reyne De Lepervanche, 32, was convicted and sentenced for high range drink driving at Waverley Local Court on Friday.

The Bondi man has made appearances as a surfer in a Weet-Bix advertisement and also featured in a social media advertising campaign for NSW National Parks.

De Lepervanche, originally from the Blue Mountains, was driving on Bondi Rd, Bondi Beach only minutes from his home about 3am when he lost control of his vehicle and smashed into another car, the court heard.

The impact pushed the parked car onto the footpath and caused significant damage, while the left wheel was torn off De Lepervanche’s car.

The Bondi man outside Waverley Local Court.

De Lepervanche was sentenced for high-range drink-driving.

As the Bondi man walked from the scene, a witness identified him as the person responsible and informed police as they arrived at the scene.

The court heard the man registered a blood alcohol reading of 0.176, with the legal limit 0.05.

De Lepervanche’s lawyer hoped to convince the court a licence was essential to his client’s ability to travel from Sydney to Nowra to complete construction work.

The Bondi man is currently working on building sites based in Nowra and Ulladulla and hoped to obtain his builder’s licence.

However Magistrate Ross Hudson was not convinced the material submitted to court proved the 32-year-old had a low risk of reoffending and slammed the now-construction worker’s apparent low regard for the seriousness of his behaviour.

“I reject that,” Magistrate Hudson said. “There’s a collision, there’s a smash. That shows the speed and the seriousness.”

“This is clearly erratic driving,” the magistrate noted before questioning why the man “was even driving at all.”

“I think you’ve come into this court thinking, ‘Oh well, this is all fine,’” Magistrate Hudson said. “I think there needs to be a real change of attitude.”

De Lepervanche was convicted and sentenced to a 12-month community corrections order and had his licence disqualified for nine months. He was also fined $1000 and ordered to have an alcohol interlock fitted to his car for 12 months.