Justin Bliss: Torquay man, ProFinish Coatings co-director causes Mildura crash

A Torquay man who took pills to get through a long drive ended up in a serious crash that could’ve been far worse.

ProFinish Coatings co-director Justin Bliss had his licence suspended. Picture: Mike Dugdale

The co-director of an industrial painting business, who took Xanax before a six-hour drive from Torquay to Mildura, has been told he was lucky he didn’t kill someone.

Justin Glen Bliss, 47, pleaded guilty to driving and possession charges at Mildura Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.

A police prosecutor said Bliss, ProFinish Coatings co-director, drove from Torquay to Mildura for work on August 12 last year.

The court heard Bliss took one pill of prescription medication Xanax at 6am, believing it to be a type of Valium.

Police said popped two more pills at 8am and 10am.

In the afternoon, he stopped at an Ouyen service station and drew the attention of a member of the public, who contacted police.

The court heard another driver noticed Bliss’ driving south of Irymple at 3.26pm.

The prosecutor said as Bliss approached the Fifteenth St and Benetook Ave intersection he smashed into the back of a 23-year-old driver’s car, pushing the stationary vehicle into the roundabout.

The court heard the victim suffered sore ribs and back pain after the crash.

According to police, officers they found 31 alprazolam tablets, with no prescription provided, in Bliss’s car.

The court heard he told police he’d had five tablets since the previous night, and that he didn’t really know what was in the pills, only that “it chills you out a bit”.

Bliss told police he’d taken them to help with the long drive but “obviously it ended up being a lot worse” than he thought it would.

The court heard he told officers his reaction times had been “s***house”.

Bliss’ lawyer said his client was co-director of a business that employed 50 people involved in painting works, sandblasting and fireproofing.

The lawyer said Bliss had been working 60 to 80-hour weeks at the time, and took the drugs from a friend who was struggling, in an attempt to help.

After noting the victim’s injuries had eased when contacted by police weeks after the incident, the lawyer acknowledged Bliss was “lucky not to be facing more serious charges”.

The lawyer said Bliss had co-operated with police, pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and rendered assistance at the scene to the victim, showing genuine remorse.

Magistrate Hugh Radford told Bliss he was a risk to road users the entire trip and his behaviour was “completely unacceptable”.

Mr Radford accepted Bliss’ remorse but said if the circumstances were different and he had killed someone, he would be looking at a jail term of five to seven years.

His driver’s licence was suspended for two years and Bliss received a $2000 fine.

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