Michelle Bridges pleads guilty to Australia Day drink driving charge

The magistrate in Michelle Bridges’ drink driving case rejected a plea from fitness guru’s solitictor for leniency after she pleaded guilty.

Michelle Bridges’ lawyer has made a desperate argument in court to excuse the celebrity fitness trainer from having a drink-driving conviction recorded because she is “a special person”.

Appearing in Waverley Local Court today, the reality star and fitness guru was given a three-month driving ban and a $750 fine with a conviction recorded after pleading guilty to mid-range drink driving while her child was in the car.

She will have to use an interlock device on her car once that three-month disqualification is over.

A statement of facts used in the case states Bridges told police she had a glass of wine with dinner then four glasses of vodka and soda the night before she was pulled over.

“The accused stated she had used mouthwash five minutes before being stopped, then stated she had consumed alcohol ‘last night’,” the facts read.

In court Bridges’ solicitor Tony Bellanto said the fitness guru is a “person who owns up to her mistakes and a person who has been cut to the core by this experience”.

He pushed Magistrate Allison Hawkins to record no conviction over the offence, leading to a long trade-off between the pair.

Mr Bellanto argued his client was a “special person” and should be treated as such by the court. However, the magistrate did not agree.

Michelle Bridges issued a tearful apology after her court appearance. Picture: Joel Carrett/AAP

“We have a situation where we have a reading of mid-range and there is a child in the car and the absolute majority of people who come before the court for a mid-range PCA receive a conviction,” she said. “So why should I not record a conviction in this case?”

“This is a special case,” the solicitor answered.

“Why is that?” the Ms Hawkins asked.

“Because she’s a rather special person,” he said.

“So are you advancing that there’s a different tier of justice for someone who has high standing in the community to an ordinary person?” Ms Hawkins asked.

“Your honour there must be room in the administration of justice for a person who has given so much of their time and their life to the community,” he said.

Mr Bellanto said that Bridges’ online 12 Week Body Transformation program is “responsible for Australians losing two million kilograms in weight”.

“Justice is individual and justice must be directed to the person who’s standing before your honour,” he said.

The court heard Bridges was slurring her words and her face was flushed when she was pulled over, according to police statement of facts.

Her solicitor argued his client was “not going through a good time” when the offence occurred.

“She is a person who requires individualised justice and leniency because of the circumstances of the offending,” he said, saying a conviction would act as a “scar on her record for the rest of her life”.

He said his client had already suffered “humiliation and embarrassment” at the hands of the media, saying photographers “camped outside her home” to take pictures of her.

He argued also his client could use her position and her experience to dissuade others from drink driving.

Michelle Bridges arrived at court on Tuesday. Picture: Matrix

He said she had voluntarily taken part in a drink-driving course and that she had come out of it a “better person”.

In sentencing, Ms Hawkins said she accepted this but said she said the court had to send a message of deterrence that fitted community expectations.

“There has to be some knowledge that you were taking a risk and you had a child in your car,” she said to Bridges.

“I accept at the time you were going through a terrible period in your life but that doesn’t provide an excuse if the worst case scenario happened and you were involved in an accident.

“Relationships and other traumas don’t provide much comfort to those for those who are affected in an accident.”

Outside court, she told reporters through tears that she felt “deep shame and humiliation” over her actions that day.

“I would like to apologise to my family, friends and community for my gross error in judgment,” she said.

“The consequences of these actions will haunt me forever.

“I ask for forgiveness from my great community and my family and thank you for your support.”

The 49-year-old previously said she was going through a difficult period when she decided to drive her Range Rover under the influence with her five-year-old in the vehicle.

Bridges pleaded guilty to mid-range drink driving with a child in the car. Picture: Matrix

Bridges was stopped by police during a roadside random breath test after being pulled over on Australia Day just before 11.25am.

She was pulled over on New South Head Road in Bellevue Hill, and allegedly recorded .086 when tested by police.

Police confirmed Bridges had been caught during the RBT operation.

“A 49-year-old woman, driving a Range Rover SUV, was subjected to a roadside breath test which returned a positive result,” NSW police said in a statement. “A five-year-old passenger was in the car at the time.”

After being arrested, Bridges published a statement in The Daily Telegraph saying she had “deep regret” over the incident, calling it a “terrible mistake and an error of judgment”.

She appeared at Waverley Local Court in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs today wearing a dark suit and a colourful top. She was joined by a small group of supporters.