Nicola Camm, 50, convicted, fined, loses licence on driving charges

An assistant nurse was caught drink-driving just eight days after she had her licence suspended.

Nicola Camm. Picture: Facebook

An assistant nurse who was caught drink-driving just eight days after she had her licence suspended has narrowly avoided jail.

Nicola Camm, 50, pleaded guilty in Geelong Magistrates Court on Friday to drink-driving, failing an oral fluid test and driving while disqualified.

She was convicted and fined, with magistrate Michelle Hodgson warning Camm she was close to imposing a prison sentence.

The court was told Camm was seen driving down McKillop St just after 9pm on April 29.

Police intercepted her on Gheringhap St, where it was discovered her licence had been cancelled on April 21 for six months.

At Geelong Police Station, Camm recorded an evidentiary breath test of 0.097, almost double the legal blood alcohol limit of 0.05.

Just over a month later, Camm was stopped on Little Myers St and tested positive to having ice in her system on June 1.

The court heard she had three prior drink-driving offences, with the latest being in 2018.

Camm’s lawyer, Alexander Good, told the court his client had a “prior history of alcohol abuse”, but was now “fronting up to the problems”.

The time preceding the offending was a turbulent period in Camm’s life, Mr Good said, noting that she had just come out of a toxic relationship and was living in a share house in April.

Her landlord was controlling, Mr Good said, causing Camm anxiety and leading to her “withdrawing to her bedroom” and drinking.

“She’s got in the car for no particular reason, other than to get out of that household environment,” Mr Good said.

Camm then moved in with an old school friend who was “into drugs”, Mr Good told the court.

While living with the school friend, Camm had ended up trying ice on “two occasions”, being caught on the second, Mr Good said, arguing Camm’s use of the drug was an “aberrate occurrence”.

Camm has since moved in with her elderly parents, the court heard.

Mr Good said that other than her “terrible traffic history” his client was an upstanding citizen who had made “idiotic decisions”.

“It showed she had been sticking her head in the sand about her alcohol problem,” Mr Good said.

“She is under no illusions anymore. She’s addressing that, your honour.”

Ms Hodgson said it seemed Camm had appeared before the court on a “pretty regular basis” since 2008 due to her driving.

“It appears it simply hasn’t hit home for you,” Ms Hodgson told Camm.

“You’ve been dealt with mercifully … it’s very unusual for someone to even come before the court on a second occasion and receive a without conviction disposition.”

Ms Hodgson said she took into account the fact Camm had pleaded guilty at the earliest possible stage, however she noted that eight-day gap from having her licence cancelled and the drink-driving charge.

Ms Hodgson convicted Camm, fined her $2000 and disqualified her from driving for 18 months.

Originally published as Nicola Camm, 50, convicted, fined, loses licence on driving charges