Traveller on way home trips up thirsty Langwarrin drink driver
A Langwarrin cabinet maker who had already knocked back too many unwisely treated himself to just one more as he drove home.
South East
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A speeding, swerving drink driver was still swigging booze when he was pulled over by cops at 5am, a court has heard.
Rhys Bradley Keech was nabbed at nearly three times the limit with a half-finished can of Canadian Club in his car’s console.
The Langwarrin 35-year-old pleaded guilty to three driving charges at the online Frankston Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.
The court heard at 4.45am on May 23 this year Keech’s car was seen by police veering in and out of lanes on the Western Port Highway in Langwarrin.
They estimated he was doing around 100km/h in the 80km/h zone, at times almost leaving the road.
They clocked him at 96km/h as he approached Cranbourne-Frankston Rd and pulled him over.
When Keech wound down his window officers noticed multiple containers of alcohol in the car and a half drunk can of Canadian Club resting in the cup holder.
He breath-tested positive for alcohol, recording a reading of .129.
He told officers he had been drinking at a mate’s house and was driving the short distance home.
His car was impounded for 30 days and he lost his licence on the spot.
Keech was also caught drink driving in 2009.
His defence lawyer said the cabinet maker was required to drive to work sites, and asked for the licence loss to not go over the minimum mandatory period of 12 months.
He said he generally didn’t drink that much and didn’t have a problem with booze, and was remorseful for his actions that night.
Magistrate Vicky Prapas disputed that, telling Keech anyone caught drink-driving twice, both times with high readings, did in fact have issues.
“You seem to think that you don’t have a problem with alcohol,” Ms Prapas said.
“People without alcohol problems don’t come before the court for drink-driving.
“Counselling might be something you should consider.”
She said it was not surprising he was picked up by police as he drew attention to himself by almost leaving the road while speeding at 5am in the morning.
“You were driving while consuming alcohol, and you were certainly affected by alcohol,” she said.
“A combination of alcohol and speed is a very dangerous recipe.
“People lose their lives on the roads because of drink drivers.”
Keech was convicted and fined a total of $1200.
He lost his licence for 12 months, backdated to May.
Ms Prapas warned him not to get behind the wheel while he’s banned, saying “if he wants to go to jail, disqualified driving is a good way to go about it”.
