Jamie Ayre: Clayton cafe owner’s licence roasted after drink, drug drive fails
The hangover of a Clayton cafe owner who hit the beers and got behind the wheel got a lot worse when his drug-drive past came back to haunt him.
South East
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A well-brewed Clayton cafe owner who blew twice the legal alcohol limit has had his ban doubled after it was revealed he has a drug-driving prior.
But Jamie Ayre says it won’t happen again because he has recently set up a second eatery venture and “doesn’t have the time” to drink.
Ayre pleaded guilty to one drink-drive charge at the online Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
He was nabbed by cops at a booze bus site in Noble Park North at 11pm on February 21 last year, recording a reading of .097.
He told police he had downed four or five pots of beer and he didn’t think he would be over the limit.
Representing himself in court he admitted he was busted for drug-driving in 2015, but said he had since then “got off” the drugs.
He said he had recently split up with his partner, which was very stressful for him.
“I recently had some personal issues, my wife left me and took the kids last February,” Ayre said.
“I was having a few problems, but we get along now, I can see the kids.
“I have just opened up a new cafe, I don’t have time to drink anymore.”
He said he was optimistic about the future now that hopefully the worst of COIVID was over, but he would struggle to organise someone and have to pay them to deal with cafe deliveries and pick-ups.
Magistrate Andrew Halse said unfortunately for him the law dictated any previous drink or drug driving prior within 10 years meant a mandatory doubling of the licence loss.
“It seems you have a more settled life now,” Mr Halse said.
“You say you don’t have time to drink because you’re developing a second cafe.
“But because this is your second offence you will get double the normal nine months off the road.”
Mr Halse wished Ayre well in his cafe business, while convicting him and fining him $500.
He was also disqualified from driving for 18 months.
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