Bairnsdale man Christopher Hand fronts court for drink driving and possessing cannabis

A Bairnsdale man was “so intoxicated” he fell out of his car on the side of the road and tried to smoke his cigarette lighter.

Christopher Hand, 75, pleaded guilty at the Bairnsdale Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

A Bairnsdale man was “so intoxicated” he fell out of his car on the side of the road and tried to smoke his cigarette lighter, a court has heard.

Christopher Hand, 75, fronted the Bairnsdale Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, pleading guilty to exceeding the PCA while driving and possessing cannabis.

In June last year, police received reports of a person driving a Holden ute erratically at 20-25km/h in a 100km/h zone on Paynesville Rd in Bairnsdale.

After police arrived at the scene, they saw the ute stopped on the side of the road with an RACV vehicle flashing its lights behind it, the court heard.

Hand opened the car door, fell onto the road and police had to help him get up.

“Unsteady” on his feet, Hand appeared “highly intoxicated”, the court heard.

The court heard Hand, who was highly intoxicated, opened the car door and fell onto the road and needed help getting up.

He also needed assistance getting in and out of the police car.

A blood alcohol test back at the police station was more than three times the legal limit at 0.153.

Hand also tested positive for cannabis and police found the drug stashed in his tobacco pouch and wallet.

The police prosecution told the court Hand was “so intoxicated he repeatedly attempted to smoke his cigarette lighter thinking it was a cigarette” and was not arrested due to his level of intoxication.

After a while, Hand became more awake but refused to go to hospital and wanted to go home.

Hand blew a BAC of 0.153 at the Bairnsdale police station on June 16 last year.

Hand’s licence was immediately suspended and his car was impounded.

His defence lawyer said her client was diagnosed with severe vascular dementia, had 80 per cent short term memory loss and suffered from micro seizures.

She added Hand was living with a full time carer and it was never his intention to drive home that night.

“At some stage during the evening — he left in the car — and nobody can really explain why he did that or where he was going and he indeed has no memory of this incident,” she said.

Magistrate Natalie Heynes said it was really important for Hand to let other people help him.

He was placed on a good behaviour bond for six months and his licence was suspended for 21 months.