Michael Gray: McGraths Hill man busted drink driving in Grafton

A Sydney V8 race car driver with a shocking drink driving history has been slammed by a North Coast magistrate for “not having any backbone” after failing to learn from his mistakes.

Michael Gray was sentenced at Grafton Local Court. Picture: Adam Hourigan.

An amateur Sydney motorsport competitor with a penchant for boozing before getting behind the wheel has narrowly escaped time behind bars after he was busted drink driving in the Clarence.

This is the sixth time McGraths Hill man Michael Gray, 43, has been convicted of driving over the legal limit.

The 43-year-old’s most recent run in with police occurred at Grafton about 10.30pm on December 30 last year.

Michael Gray outside Grafton Local Court.

Gray was stopped by police for a random breath test as he was driving down Summerland Way.

He returned a reading of 0.088 — well above the legal limit of 0.05.

Police facts state Gray told the officers he had consumed three beers between 9pm and 10pm and had not eaten anything during that period.

Court documents further show Gray was convicted of low-range or mid-range drink driving on five separate instances in the past between 2007 and 2019.

In court, defence lawyer Brett Marshall said his client was prepared to abstain from alcohol and would start seeing a counsellor.

The court was also told Gray, who works for a Sydney-based company and employs many staff, had “too much to loose” from the repeated drink driving convictions.

Michael Gray (white shirt) had five drink driving convictions on his record.

Deftly quoting Shakespeare, Magistrate Roger Prowse expressed scepticism and said Gray “doth protest too much”.

“It’s a bit late in the day to start making protestations that you will stop drinking alcohol … because your record shows you don’t have any backbone in relation to drinking and driving,” he said.

Mr Prowse also told the court it was “a pity” Gray “didn’t apply the same level of rigour (as he does to motorsports) … to his ordinary everyday driving”.

He said the only option was a term of imprisonment because “something has to cut through”.

Gray was convicted and sentenced to eight months imprisonment to be served in the community by means of an intensive corrections order (ICO).

Originally published as Michael Gray: McGraths Hill man busted drink driving in Grafton