Drunk driver flips bird at unmarked police car

POLICE are reminding motorists to keep their road rage in check after a drunk driver allegedly flipped the bird at an unmarked police car.

Police Blitz

POLICE are reminding motorists to keep their road rage in check after a drunk driver allegedly flipped the bird at an unmarked police car.

Officers could only shake their head as the driver of the grey Toyota Camry overtook them and made the gesture. Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Stringer said the 34-year-old man was driving outbound along Dick Ward Drive, Fannie Bay, in the early hours of yesterday when he overtook the unmarked police car.

“On passing ... the male stuck his middle finger up at officers,” he said. “He was pulled over and subjected to a breath test, where he returned a high-range reading.”

He would later return a breath analysis reading of .155 per cent.

Alan Bruce pleaded guilty to high-range drink-driving in Darwin Magistrates Court yesterday. He also admitted driving without a licence, unregistered and without insurance.

There was no mention of the hand gesture in the facts.

Defence lawyer Beth Wild said her client had been drinking and “blowing off steam” because he had not seen his children in several weeks.

Magistrate Alan Woodcock said he understood Bruce was going through a tough time, but he also needed “a good wake-up call”.

Mr Woodcock convicted Bruce, disqualified him from driving for 13 months and fined him $1450.

He was ordered to reappear in court today to answer an outstanding warrant from 2011 for breaking a community service order.

Sen-Sgt Stringer reminded drivers to be mindful about abusing other motorists.

“Drive safely and be courteous to your fellow motorists, you just don’t know who you may be abusing,” he said.

The incident comes just 10 months after a drunk driver was filmed driving on the wrong side of the same road in November last year.

Andrew Triplett spent six weeks in prison for dangerous driving. Video footage played in court showed Triplett veering multiple times to the other side of the road.