Mt Eliza drink-driving dad in court over costly milk-buying mistake
A dad who drove to pick up milk despite being banned for drink-driving has been slammed for his “terrible record” behind the wheel.
South East
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A “terrible” banned driver too lazy to walk to the shops to fetch his daughter some milk has been told he will be given at least a year off the road — and risks having his mate’s car crushed.
Mario John Occhipinti pleaded guilty to four driving charges at the online Frankston Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
The court heard Occhipinti was caught boozed up behind the wheel for the third time in Frankston South on February 15 last year, losing his licence on the spot.
He blew .026 on the Moorooduc Highway, but should have been zero because of the previous drink-drive fails.
The 50-year-old Mt Eliza airconditioning worker said he had drunk one full-strength and one half-strength beer, and “didn’t think he would be over”.
He was banned from driving for the next six months while awaiting a court date.
But Occhipinti ignored the suspension, twice being caught in the driver’s seat of a friend’s car.
Two months later he was nabbed doing 20km/h over the 40km/h speed limit in a roadwork zone on the Moorooduc Highway in Mornington, telling cops he didn’t realise he was suspended.
Then in August he was pulled over in Dunns Rd, Mornington.
He said this time he said he knew he was banned but he had to pick up some milk for his daughter.
The car he was driving, which was twice impounded, is now the subject of a police application to be sold, with either the cash going to government coffers. If it isn’t sold the car will end up getting scrapped.
Occhipinti’s defence lawyer said his client had serious health problems and suffered anxiety and depression since losing his wife in 2016.
The lawyer said Occhipinti’s health issues were “terminal” and his client wanted to quickly get back behind the wheel to ease the burden on family and friends who had been driving him to work.
Reference letters of support were tendered to the court, including one from a retired police officer.
Magistrate Fiona Stewart said she needed more evidence of Occhipinti’s health and work situations and she would give no extra weight to the references simply because one of the writers was an ex-cop.
“He has a terrible traffic history,” Ms Stewart said.
“He’s got a terrible record; his health (problems) don’t excuse his behaviour.”
Occhipinti faces a licence loss of between 12 and 28 months, and a substantial fine.
He will be sentenced on January 18, with the fate of the car decided on the same day.
