Seven boss's RBT 'runner'

FUELLED by two lunchtime drinks and two post-work bourbons, Seven Network news boss Peter Meakin was twice the legal blood-alcohol limit when he decided to drive home in his luxury BMW four-wheel-drive.

FUELLED by two lunchtime drinks and two post-work bourbons, Seven Network news boss Peter Meakin was twice the legal blood-alcohol limit when he decided to drive home in his luxury BMW four-wheel-drive.

"I thought I could be marginal or close (to the limit)," Meakin told a Sydney court yesterday. "I certainly didn't want to be caught for drink-driving."

He was caught - eventually - but not before he allegedly tried to "do a runner". Meakin initially failed to stop when police flagged him down at a roadside breath-testing unit at Narrabeen, on Sydney's northern beaches, on October 4 last year.

Manly Local Court was told yesterday that Meakin accelerated past the RBT unit and tried to hide from pursuing police.

Two roadside officers had to take evasive action to avoid being hit by Meakin's car when he drove past them, and Meakin tried to hide from police by turning into a dead-end gravel road and switching his car lights off, the court heard.

Giving evidence, Meakin said he did not see police signal to him to stop and had noted only that a car in front of him had been directed to pull over. Meakin also denied swerving to avoid officers manning the RBT unit.

"I did not see police officers taking evasive action. I kept going because I thought it wasn't safe to stop there," Meakin said.

Police prosecutor Justin Watson put it to Meakin that he was "affected by alcohol or adrenaline" when confronted by the RBT unit.

"You were trying to do a runner, to look for a place to hide," Mr Watson said.

"No sir," Meakin replied.

Meakin said after realising that police were pursuing him, he stopped as soon as he could.

"The road was extremely narrow there so I stopped at what I thought was the nearest, safest location," he said.

Meakin, the head of Seven's news and current affairs, has pleaded guilty to a charge of mid-range drink-driving arising from the incident - he returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.1 - but is contesting a charge of dangerous driving.

Defence lawyer Phillip BoultenSC said the charge of dangerous driving could not succeed unless it was proved that Meakin's driving posed a danger to a member of the public.

Police video footage of the incident was tendered to the court and will be considered by magistrate Jane Culver as she determines whether Meakin is guilty of dangerous driving.

Meakin, 64, has now been found guilty of drink-driving three times and may have to serve time in prison.

He will be sentenced on the drink-driving charge on May 31, when Ms Culver will also rule on the dangerous-driving charge.

Outside court yesterday, Meakin said that despite his blood alcohol reading of 0.1, he could clearly recall the incident.