Mornington Peninsula media boss busted drink-driving for fourth time
A Mornington Peninsula media director has made videos about wine and cars. So he should have known not to mix the two.
South East
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A Mornington Peninsula media director who makes wine and car videos has been busted drink driving for the fourth time.
Damien Lawrence Pierce was nabbed behind the wheel while more than twice the limit after he was pulled over in Capel Sound last year.
The 59-year-old from Tootgarook owns Pierce Media and has produced docos and promo videos, some involving vehicles and viticulture, for Federation Square, Telstra and Austrade.
He has also created music clips and taught media courses at RMIT university and Chisholm Institute.
He pleaded guilty to one charge of drink driving at the online Dromana Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.
The court heard a police patrol cruising at around 9pm on November 25 last year saw Pierce driving along Eastbourne Rd in Capel Sound.
Cops followed and pulled him over in nearby Elizabeth Ave for a check.
They noticed he smelt strongly of liquor and looked intoxicated, so breath-tested him.
He then blew .103 and his car was impounded for 30 days.
This was his fourth drinking and driving crime, with the other three dating back to the 1980s and 1990s.
In court his defence lawyer said Pierce’s traumatic teenage years, which contributed towards his drinking when he was younger, were factors in the earlier offending.
He said those issues had resurfaced again which caused a “direct and clear nexus” to his recent alcohol use.
Pierce told the court work had dried up due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but he was expecting it to pick up now restrictions were being lifted.
Magistrate Julian Ayres said other than the drinking and driving, Pierce was a “high functioning member of society”.
“The reading was over twice the limit,” Mr Ayres said.
“This is your fourth (drink-drive), but the first in over 20 years.
“I understand the context of why this occurred, and accept some people use alcohol as a coping mechanism, but you simply can’t get behind the wheel (after drinking).”
Pierce was disqualified from driving for the mandatory minimum of 10 months and slapped with a $750 fine.
