Mitchell Morel: Drunk, drugged Drouin driver banned from hotels
Hopefully this ecstasy and booze crash-driving Drouin chippy has a bottle shop nearby because he won’t be going to a pub anytime soon.
South East
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A drunk and drugged-up driver who crashed his ute into a tree has been barred from pubs, hotels and any licensed premises for the next six months.
Mitchell Leonard Morel was also ordered to do community work and attend alcohol and substance abuse counselling, and had his licence disqualified for three years.
The 25-year-old Drouin carpenter was sentenced for drink-driving, drug possession and driving while disqualified charges at the online Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
The court heard at around 11.30pm on July 25 last year Morel was driving his Toyota HiLux near Nar Nar Goon when he went off the road and hit a tree.
He was still trapped in his extensively damaged vehicle when police, ambulance paramedics and firefighters arrived on the scene 25 minutes later.
He had to be cut out of the ute and taken to hospital, where his blood sample recorded a positive for ecstasy and he registered an alcohol level of .108.
When cops searched the car they then found a stash of cannabis in the glove box.
Morel spent three days in hospital after the crash and had to endure four months off work to recover from hand, leg and bleeding on the brain injuries.
The chippy had only bought the $25,000 HiLux 10 days before the crash, and has now lost it because insurance won’t pay out for drink-driver accidents.
He shouldn’t have purchased the vehicle anyway as he had been banned by VicRoads for not completing a drug course imposed for a previous driving while high crime.
His defence lawyer said Morel had been boozing with friends when he decided to get some air and drive to a nearby lookout.
He said he now realised that was a stupid decision, and knows there could have been far worse consequences for himself or the wider community.
He said Morel was contrite, had not used drugs since and only occasionally drank alcohol now.
Magistrate Charlie Rozencwajg said drug and drunk driving could be catastrophic.
“The fact that you were anywhere near the wheel of a motor vehicle causes immense apprehension in any sensible individual,” Mr Rozencwajg said.
“The consequences were clear in the sense of you crashed into a tree.
“Only by the grace of God did you not cause injury or death to someone else.”
Morel was placed on an 18-month community corrections order with 150 hours of unpaid work and alcohol and drug counselling.
He was also convicted, banned from entering any licensed venues for six months and given a 36-month licence disqualification.
