Journalist Natasha Exelby busted drink driving after crashing into parked car while four times over legal limit
TV star Natasha Exelby said she was suffering a “mental health breakdown” when she crashed into a parked car in Toorak with a blood alcohol level of .220.
Police & Courts
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Television journalist Natasha Exelby was busted more than four times over the legal limit after she crashed her Kia into a parked car at Toorak.
The former 10 News First reporter and presenter fronted the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday where she escaped conviction after admitting to drink driving and driving while suspended.
The court heard the seasoned journalist, who sat quietly behind her defence lawyer, had driven her white Kia Cerato into a parked car along Orrong Rd in Toorak on June 26.
Two police officers who attended the collision at 6.15pm questioned Exelby and conducted a preliminary breath test, which detected alcohol.
An evidentiary breath test later revealed she had an alleged blood alcohol concentration of .220.
When asked how much she had drunk that Monday afternoon, she replied: “Two seltzers”.
She told police she did not believe she was over the limit nor driving while suspended.
But Exelby’s defence lawyer Raj Malhotra told the court his client consumed “a couple more” than two drinks after she experienced a “mental health breakdown”.
The court heard the 40-year-old turned to alcohol that afternoon to cope despite not being a social drinker, before jumping in her car to drive to her partner’s home.
Mr Malhotra said she was scared to tell police she had drunk more than two seltzers, but is now “completely abstinent” from alcohol.
In a statement, Exelby told the Herald Sun she takes “full responsibility” for her actions.
“It’s no secret that I’ve suffered from major depression and post-traumatic stress disorder for many years,” she said.
“At the time of the incident, I was going through a very dark period with multiple medication changes.
“Never in my life did I think I would be capable of what happened but regardless of my mental health, my actions were shocking beyond words and I take full responsibility.”
Exelby has no prior traffic offences or criminal history.
“She has never been in trouble with the law,” Mr Malhotra said.
“This is the first time she has had a blemish in her career.”
While admitting to the charge, Exelby maintains she had no idea she was driving on a suspended licence.
Mr Malhotra told the court when Exelby returned to Victoria after living interstate her licence was renewed on the spot at VicRoads despite her flagging her medical conditions.
Police say they sent a letter to Exelby explaining her licence was suspended pending a “medical review” but she claims it never arrived.
Exelby has worked as a journalist for more than 20 years and reported from 50 countries.
In 2016, she worked for Turkish public broadcaster TRT World and reported live on air for the English-speaking channel during an attempted coup.
Exelby later revealed her house was sprayed with bullets during the chaos and her newsroom raided.
She returned to Australia and went viral in 2017 for a hilarious on-air blooper after becoming distracted by her pen while presenting the news for ABC.
Two years later, she was hired by 10 News First as a reporter and presenter, also appearing as a contestant on the network’s fifth season of I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!
She was named as one of the presenters for new national news bulletin 10 News First: Breakfast, but the show was axed in December last year after six months of poor ratings.
Exelby announced she was departing 10 News First in February, saying it was “time for a new chapter”.
She now works as a communications and media consultant, with Mr Malhotra stating a conviction would be detrimental to her career.
Judicial Registrar Sivaratnam Kandasamy said medical reports provided to him showed she had “suffered trauma”.
“You have been through a very difficult time in your life,” he said.
“This incident seems to be a one-off because there is no history of alcohol use.”
She was fined $2000 without conviction.
Mr Kandasamy also disqualified her from driving for 22 months and ordered her licence be cancelled.
Exelby told the Herald Sun she fully accepted the court’s decision.
“I’m grateful my mental health has drastically improved and I’m well on the road to recovery,” she said.
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