By Julia Medew
HIS father labelled him "an absolute idiot" for crashing his car into a tree while drunk, but yesterday Nick Bracks was simply told he was lucky. Lucky to be alive, lucky no one was injured and lucky cars could be replaced.
After convicting former premier Steve Bracks' eldest son of drink driving and fining him $750 for the offence, magistrate Dan Muling reminded the 20-year-old he was not invincible.
"Young males tend to be bullet-proof and perhaps when you're under peer group pressure you make decisions you regret," he said.
Bracks pleaded guilty in the Melbourne Magistrates Court yesterday to drink driving, careless driving and exceeding the speed limit after he ploughed into a tree while driving with his friend on July 13.
His father, who said he felt hopeless and partly responsible on the day of the collision, resigned from Government two weeks later, saying the incident contributed to his resignation.
Mr Muling, who disqualified Bracks from driving for 15 months, said he took the student's age into consideration and accepted he had the "full support, love and backing of" his parents.
"Some people learn from their mistakes, Mr Bracks, I suspect you will be one of these people," he said.
Police prosecutor Tom Coulson told the court Bracks was speeding along the north-bound lane of Melbourne Road in Williamstown about 4.30am when he clipped the median strip and lost control of his father's 1990 Saab.
The vehicle landed on the south-band lane of the road and collided with a tree outside a house. It was irreparable, he said.
While Bracks' friend fled the scene suffering minor cuts, Sergeant Coulson said Bracks waited for police to arrive and later recorded a blood alcohol concentration of 0.129.
He said the probationary driver, who should not have had any alcohol in his system, was co-operative and told police he had been driving between 70 and 80 km/h in a 60 km/h zone before he crashed.
When asked why he was drink-driving on the morning, Bracks said: "Just to get to a friend's house."
Bracks' lawyer, Charlie Nikakis, told the court his client caught a taxi home from a party earlier that night, but later decided to drive to get some food.
He said Bracks was earning $500 a week from a job with Linfox and planned to begin tertiary study at RMIT University next year.
"Any fines imposed by this court will be paid by him," he said.
Mr Nikakis said the P-plater had begun a drink-driving course and had already suffered from "particular attention" paid to the collision.
"This 20-year-old has learnt quite a bit in a short space of time… He still has to go through the hurdle of getting his licence back," he said.